It’s hard to imagine such that rapid commercialisation could have taken hold in the pre-internet age. Another reason might be to do with its message of sober restraint, which chimes with expectations about the history of World War II and was appropriated by many commentators during the recent economic downturn.Īnd then fundamental to this are the technological advances that have made the slogan’s reproduction and manipulation so easy. The timeless nature of the stylistic and predominantly textual design goes some way towards explaining this. So here we have a poster that was not even used for its original purpose during the war yet has seen mass popularity upon its rediscovery.
#KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON WW2 SERIES#
This even led to a series of legal battles over copyright during 2011-13 (with UK courts concluding that the design was covered by Crown Copyright rules and was now firmly in the public domain). Other companies followed suit and versions of the “Keep Calm” message were soon being attached to a bewildering array of products. The Manleys decided to display the poster it in their shop and began to sell reproductions in 2001. It was found in 2000 within a box of books bought at auction by Stuart and Mary Manley, the owners of a second hand book shop in Alnwick, Northumberland. This would all change when a dusty copy of the “Keep Calm” poster was re-discovered at the turn of the 21st century. Some of the posters had been distributed to police stations for safe-keeping and were accidentally overlooked, but even these remained hidden from view for more than 60 years. Only a handful of the originals survived when stocks were pulped during an extensive wartime recycling campaign. But its display was never officially authorised, and so never went ahead. It was designed to lead a series of three “Home Publicity” posters that would be issued in the event of war and 2.45 million copies were printed in the days before World War II was declared. The slogan was coined following a meeting between Ministry of Information officials and the Treasury on 27 June 1939. It also obscures the complicated history of a poster that was designed on this day 75 years ago, but surprisingly was not seen in public until very recently, in 2001. This pervasiveness has served to reinforce a popular view of life on the Home Front during World War II. Its formula is instantly recognisable, whether referring to zombies or knitting. An engraving shop on my daily commute even invokes its customers to “Keep Calm and Order Signage”. Its resilient message has become extraordinarily commonplace, with the phrase used to sell everything from mugs to flight bags and baby clothes. The message of the poster remains poignant, with the sale coming in the same week that Britain marked one year since the first lockdown was introduced.“Keep Calm and Carry On” is now one of the most recognisable slogans in British history. The fantastic price is a tribute to its exceptional rarity and condition." "It’s fitting, in this extraordinary time we are living in, that the original 1939 Keep Calm and Carry On poster came out as the top lot of the series. I’ve probably only seen about two or three and this is by far the best one I’ve seen."Īuctioneer and valuer Andrew Ewbank said: "It’s been an incredibly busy few days, with over 3,500 people registering to bid with us online, but the results have been worth all the hard work. "I’ve definitely never seen one in as good condition as that. When it comes to posters of any type, condition is paramount "Those posters come up very rarely indeed. Ivan said: "It’s probably the most famous of all the war posters although ironically it wasn’t used.
Auctioneer Andrew Ewbank, of Ewbank’s auctioneers, says the poster's price is 'a tribute to its exceptional rarity and condition' (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
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