A Life Etched in Ink and Patriotism James Montgomery Flagg, a name synonymous with American illustration and perhaps most indelibly linked to the iconic image of Uncle Sam exhorting “I Want You,” was far more than just a poster artist. Born in 1877 in Pelham Manor, New York, Flagg’s journey through the world of art spanned decades, encompassing fine painting, comic strips, magazine illustration, and a keen understanding of how to capture the American spirit on paper. From an astonishingly young age—selling drawings at twelve and contributing regularly to Life and Judge magazines by his early…