Featured in this lot are four U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Smokey the Bear cardstock posters circa 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1973. All four of the posters in this lot were presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and were printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office. For more than 70 years, the Smokey the Bear mascot has been used to promote fire safety. The United States Forest Service invented Smokey in the spring of 1950 to educate the public about wildfires. The first poster (1967) shows a poster tacked to a tree and reads, "Thanks Folks" showing Smokey the Bear tipping his hat to the readers. The bottom of the poster reads, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!" in black lettering. The second (1968) poster shows a brightly colored scene of children playing in the forest and a small pond. Various animals can been seen scattered throughout the children. The children can be seen playing, running, swimming, eating, fishing, playing baseball and more. The poster reads, "Smokey's friends don't play with matches. / Only you can prevent forest fires." in black lettering. The bottom left shows a small Smokey the Bear standing and holding his shovel. He is wearing his iconic blue jeans and ranger hat that reads, "Smokey". The third poster (1969), shows a close up image of a lit match, against a black background. The poster reads, "Think before you strike. / Only you can prevent forest fires." in white lettering. The bottom left shows a portrait of Smokey the Bear in his iconic ranger hat. The fourth and final poster (1973), shows a fire burning a house and the trees in the surrounding area. The black, faded lettering reads "Trash Fires Burn More Than Trash" and shows Smokey the Bear's head in the bottom right hand corner wearing his "Smokey" hat. This poster is the most worn with faded lettering and major scuffing to the graphic areas. The other posters show good to fair condition showing cracks, creases and wear to the graphics. They are in readable condition still and no major signs of damage is noted. They measure 18 3/8" L x 13" W and weigh 6 ounces.