Keep Calm and Carry On

Well, my new poster arrived today. Now I need to find a frame.


I’ve seen this on a couple of blogs and decided to get one myself as I love it.

Accompanying the poster was this information leaflet from Barter Books, Northumberland

“In the spring of 1939, the British Government’s Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters ... intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.

“At the end of August 1939, 3 designs went into production with an overall print budget of £20,600 for 5 million posters. 2 of the designs were issued and, of the third design, 2.5 million posters were printed which simply read “Keep Calm and Carry On” and were kept in reserve, intended for use only in times of crisis or invasion. The poster was never officially issued and remained virtually unseen by the public until a rare copy turned up more than 50 years later in a box of old books bought at auction by Barter Books in Alnwick. The shop owners liked the poster so much that they had it framed and placed by the till in the shop. It proved so popular that they decided to commission a facsimile edition which has become a best seller. The individuals responsible for the poster are unknown but it’s a credit to those nameless artists that, long after the war was won, people everywhere are still finding reassurance in their distinctive and handsome design, and the very special “attitude of mind” they managed to convey.