This section brings together the approximately 700 objects and photographs used in Canada's Naval History. Use this section to directly access objects and photographs grouped by type, as shown below, or use the search function above to search through them by title.

Recruiting Poster, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve

This poster, with its image of a confident sailor standing alongside a ship's guns, sought volunteers for the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR).

Established in May 1914 and situated in communities across the country, the RNCVR was originally intended to provide sailors for Britain's Royal Navy. This poster sought sailors for "service Overseas with the Imperial Royal Navy for the Period of the War." The RNCVR also provided many of the recruits that permitted Canada's wartime navy to expand rapidly from a mere 350 sailors to over 5,000.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19860131-059