The poster reminds civilians to “Order Coal Now” before the winter to free up supplies for the military and shows two Clydesdale horses waiting patiently in front of a wagon as a man unloads coal. It was issued by the United States Fuel Administration, a federal agency established in August 1917; its main role was the production and conservation of fuel for the armed forces. Leyendecker was one of the most important American illustrators of the first half of the 20th century; between 1896 and 1950, he designed more than four 400 magazine covers, 322 of them for The Saturday Evening Post, some of which were adapted as posters. During World War I, he designed numerous recruitment and fundraising posters for the military and for government agencies.