Solidarity Election Poster, “High Noon, 4 June 1989”

This is probably the most famous image circulated by Solidarity in the run-up to the June 4 elections. Gary Cooper, the actor who starred in the film “High Noon,” is shown with a Solidarity insignia on his badge and a ballot in hand. In addition to playfully appealing to the popularity of American Westerns—and the popularity of American in general—the “High Noon” theme hammered home the message that the June 4 elections offered a stark choice between two opponents and would have momentous consequences for Poland.

This source is a part of the Solidarity Comes to Power in Poland, 1989 teaching module.