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Darracott, J., Loftus, B. Second World War Posters London: HMSO, 1972 (Reprinted 1981)

June 8, 2010 By drbexl 2 Comments

A well illustrated work that accompanied an exhibition of war posters at the Imperial War Museum. It was edited by Joseph Darracott, the head of the Art Department at the IWM, with many illustrations prefaced by a short introductory piece. Each of the colour poster illustrations, most of which are British (a reflection of the holdings of the IWM, which contains some 20-30,000 British posters) are accompanied by biographical information about the artist, and contextual information about the situation in which the posters were produced.

“Posters are not designed to last, rather, they are intended to catch the mood of the moment and turn it to advantage. … As we look at war posters, we see our modern world reflected.” [p9]

Filed Under Book Review, Imperial War Museum Tagged With Book Review, Imperial War Museum, posters, second world war

The Ministry of Food (The Imperial War Museum)

February 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A great video from the Imperial War Museum, for the newly launched exhibition “Ministry of Food“.  “During the Second World War, getting the most from your little plot of land was crucial. This film, produced by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1941, explains how to prepare an area of ground for growing your veg, and shows why not having space is simply no excuse.”

The Imperial War Museum can be found on Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Facebook, so plenty of ways to follow the exhibits.

There’s a great bit of coverage in Culture 24, and I hadn’t realised until we came to the end of filming last Wednesday (for BBC Inside Out North East, interviewed by Linda Barker, don’t know when it’s going to be aired yet), that the exhibition hadn’t yet opened. The Museum has put on a display a number of it’s great Home Front posters, and a number of displays which attempt to “give a sense” of what life was like on the Home Front in the Second World War.

Filed Under Exhibition, Imperial War Museum, TV Show Tagged With Dig for Vitory, Imperial War Museum, Ministry of Food

Women of Britain, Come Into the Factories

January 6, 2010 By drbexl 2 Comments

Great things come out of little postcards. I bought this poster as a postcard in the Imperial War Museum whilst 15-17, and then put it on the wall, along with a few others, but it’s the colour of this one that stood out, and that I remembered when it came to choosing my A-Level history project, which then became an undergraduate dissertation, and then a PhD.

Poster Title: Women of Britain, Come Into the Factories

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Date: Probably 1941

Artist Philip Zec

Printer Lowe and Brydone, London Size 29 3/4″ x 19 1/4″

Sources IWM PST 3645

Other Information: Some catalogues list this as being by Donald Zec, Philip’s brother. Donald Zec has recently completed a biography of Philip Zec’s work, and this poster is definitely by Philip Zec.

Filed Under drbexl, PhD thesis, poster Tagged With Imperial War Museum, poster, Women of Britain

Weapons of Mass Communication

January 4, 2010 By drbexl Leave a Comment

“In the 21st century we have become accustomed to mass communication developing to unbelievably sophisticated levels, yet a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum shows how for a large part of the 20th century, the humble poster was the key means of influencing public opinion.

The exhibition explores this phenomenon by presenting hundreds of the most eye-catching and iconic posters used to sell war and attendant ideologies from WWI to the present day.

Running until March 31 2008 Weapons of Mass Communication mines the museums’ vast poster archive to present a snapshot of the ideas that have been used to both promote and oppose conflicts and political ideas. ”

Read full entry. The accompanying book: “War Posters: Weapons of Mass Communication” by James Aulich is beautifully produced, and some information remains online.

Filed Under Exhibition, Imperial War Museum Tagged With Exhibition, Imperial War Museum, James Aulich, The Art of War, War Posters, Weapons of Mass Communication

Birthday Boogie in the Bunker!

October 25, 2009 By drbexl Leave a Comment

1940s Dancing“The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War rooms in association with the London Swing Dance Society is proud to host the 10th anniversary celebrations of the incomparable South London Jazz Orchestra with an evening of song and dance ‘Birthday Boogie in the Bunker!’

The Cabinet War Rooms, the historic site where Churchill led Britain to victory during the Second World War, commemorates its 70th anniverary this year from becoming operational in 1939.  In November we also commemorate Churchill’s 135 birthday. Come on out on 20 November for a night of song and dance, our birthday boogie in the bunker.”

Find out more on the Imperial War Museum site.

Filed Under Event Tagged With Event, Imperial War Museum, second world war

Telegraph: Posters

September 12, 2009 By drbexl Leave a Comment

telegraph-postersSeventy years after the radio announcement that informed the nation that Britain was at war, Imperial War Museum London is mounting Outbreak 1939, a new special exhibition, which will explore the build-up to and preparations for war, from August 20. Terry Charman, senior Imperial War Museum Historian, describes some of the iconic posters from 1939.

Filed Under Exhibition, Imperial War Museum, poster Tagged With 70 years, Graphic Design, Images online, Imperial War Museum

Austerity Era Cushions

September 10, 2009 By drbexl Leave a Comment

heraldic-needlepointHeraldic Needlepoint’s Austerity Era cushion designs are all taken from posters issued by various departments of the British Government during previous periods of austerity (stylistically, the last 3 are First World War, the remainder are Second World War)

  1. Dig for Victory
  2. Dig on for Victory
  3. Dig for Plenty
  4. Make Do and Mend
  5. Make Do and Mend (Mrs Sew-and-Sew)
  6. Go Through Your Wardrobe
  7. Freedom is in Peril: Defend it with all your might
  8. Keep Calm and Carry On
  9. Save Kitchen Scraps to Feed the Hens
  10. Save Kitchen Waste to Feed the Pigs
  11. We Want Your Kitchen Waste
  12. Don’t Take Alcoholic Drinks
  13. To Dress Extravagently in Wartime
  14. Rally Round the Flag: Every Fit Man Wanted

Please note: These images are reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives and The Imperial War Museum who own the reproduction rights and these images may not be reproduced without their permission.

The Austerity Era cushions cost £ 34.99 plus postage
Alerted by this media release.

Filed Under contemporary relevance Tagged With contemporary, Cushions, Graphic Design, Imperial War Museum, keep calm and carry on, National Archives, To purchase

Outbreak 1939, Imperial War Museum, London

August 23, 2009 By drbexl 1 Comment

Outbreak 1939

20 August 2009 to 6 August 2010. Free admission.

“At 11.15am on 3 September 1939, the British public heard Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announce that Britain and France were at war with Germany.

Seventy years after the announcement that signified the start of the Second World War and changed the lives of millions, this special exhibition explores how being a nation at war shaped the lives of ordinary men and women as well as those who were actively involved in the political negotiations and their aftermath. Historical material and personal memorabilia will illustrate the build-up to war, an hour-by-hour countdown of events on 3 September, and the early months of the conflict.”

Great online poster gallery, with explanation on a number of posters, some of which I recognise! 22nd October, get an exclusive tour with Terry Charman.

The Independent has already given a review, to which I have responded that it’s rather strange if the Imperial War Museum have put Keep Calm and Carry On up as posters from 1939… that’ll be one to address in Creating and Consuming history module in Semester 2! Culture 24 also has an expanded article with a lot of interesting information!

Filed Under Exhibition, keep calm and carry on, Museum Tagged With Imperial War Museum, keep calm and carry on, War Anniversary

Forties Frugality is Back

April 24, 2009 By drbexl Leave a Comment

pretWe mentioned before that the Imperial War Museum is re-using posters from the Second World War to encourage us into good habits to get through the recession! Following the Twitter feed of Mrs Sew & Sew, the campaign is definitely being noticed! 

Sarah Mower, Prêt-à-rapporter: This week: Forties frugality, cardie codes and the new nudes, 14 Apr 2009

More of Interest?
My Google Alerts is bringing in the usual run of online stores jumping on the bandwagon and selling the Keep Calm items, but a few other interesting odds and ends: 

Filed Under Imperial War Museum, keep calm and carry on, poster Tagged With Imperial War Museum, keep calm and carry on, poster, propaganda, second world war

Imperial War Museum: Posters of Conflict

April 16, 2009 By drbexl Leave a Comment

Imperial War Museum Posters of Conflict WebsiteImperial War Museum Poster Collection
Whilst researching my PhD I had great hopes of access to the Imperial War Museum’s poster collection, but was restricted to the few hundred in the onsite art collection (which are still an amazing collection) .

In 2002 however, Manchester Metropolitan University, under the leadership of James Aulich, received funding to digitise 10,000 posters from the collection. Digitised copies of the posters are available from the Imperial War Museum Collections online, and VADs (most subject to copyright/image rights, etc.).

Filed Under Imperial War Museum, poster Tagged With Images online, Imperial War Museum, Poster Collection
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