British Posters of the Second World War

by Richard Slocombe

“Keep calm and carry on.” In 1939, Britain’s Ministry of Information produced this now-ubiquitous reminder to its citizens in the event of widely predicted air attacks. But in the six consecutive years before Germany’s surrender to Allied forces, the British public would feel keenly both the physical and moral hardships of war. To boost morale and raise awareness of how citizens’ efforts might help―or hinder―the wartime effort, one of the most effective forms the British government had at its disposal was the poster.
           
British Posters of the Second World War presents one hundred posters from this important period in world history. Some proclaimed in bold type that “Victory of the Allies is assured” and featured stalwart British soldiers alongside exaggerated enemy figures. Others, however, hung on the walls of bus and railway stations, town halls, and pubs, called for continued self-sufficiency, urging Britons to raise chickens and join “pig clubs.” As the threat of espionage came to be regarded as ever-present, another category of posters cautioned soldiers and civilians alike against talking about the “Furtive Fritz is always listening” warned one; another, “Keep mum―she’s not so dumb.”
           
Drawing on the Imperial War Museum’s impressive collection of materials related to conflicts involving Britain in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, British Posters of the Second World War explores these campaigns and many others with an introduction and explanatory text by the museum’s senior curator, Richard Slocombe.

Genres: History, Art, Nonfiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2012

Reviews

[Owain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moderately interesting small book about British Propaganda posters of the Second World War. I found the book interesting but personally I'd prefer to read a more in-depth book on the subject.

The subject really is quite interesting and the subject involves using psychology to alter a nation's mood and behaviour. Some of these introduced behaviours have stayed with us whereas other have obviously died along the wayside. British socialists were quite often behind many of the posters and the Ministry of Information (MOI) drew directly from the Soviet propaganda both artistically, psychologically and politically. I was struck by how progressive some of the messages were on the posters. Topics such as; quit smoking, public health & safety, grow your own food, think of the Britain you want to build after the war etc. Apparently very early on in the war the MOI found that older more conservative themes such as 'fight for king and country' found very little approval with the appetite for progressive political change of the time. The book even includes a small section of posters produced by the Communist Party. 'Finish the Job, Open a Second Front Now!'

Contrary to current modern-day opinion the 'Keep Calm & Carry On' posters proved unpopular at the time and were rarely used.

[Mylesgorton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes you through the development of second world war posters used for various purposes in the UK and in the immediate aftermath of the war from 1946 onwards. It's very interesting to see how the medium developed during that time, both through necessity (need for improved messages and outcomes) and by the stylistic choices of the bodies that were commissioning and issuing these posters. The book has a number of short chapters on the number of different periods and topics and also a number of interesting biographies of the key artists working at the time. I really enjoyed the sections which related to life in London during the blackout as it was easy to imagine how different it would be to walk, travel and drive round a big city in a blackout. My only gripe with the book is that some of the posters are printed too small to really appreciate all the detail. You will definitely benefit from a magnifying glass while reading this book. Apart from that facet, I would have given it five stars.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read, while still being a great collection of posters and their story behind them.

[Carol Pouliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Ken French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of posters, placing them in both historical and artistic context.