With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

World War II Propaganda Posters to be Auctioned off

A treasure trove of 200 World War II propaganda posters is being auctioned after being found in an old printing factory.

The posters, with famous slogans such as Keep Calm And Carry On and Careless Talk Costs Lives, were described by the Imperial War Museum as a ‘once in a lifetime’ find.
They lay gathering dust until an employee took them home. ‘They are quite a find and as minty as can be. I can remember seeing quite a few of them myself during the war,’ said Roy Butler, from auctioneers Wallis & Wallis in Lewes, East Sussex.

‘Many of the slogans have entered into the popular consciousness.’

The different attitudes towards women can be seen in the collection.

Attractive females feature in posters with titles such as ‘Tell Nobody – Not Even Her’ while others are portrayed as unreliable and femme fatales.

The A1 and A3- sized posters are expected to fetch up to £160 per lot of four on March 23.
Read entire article at Metro (UK)