Keep Calm and Carry On!
I saw this poster everywhere in London the past 2 weeks (in ads, on mugs, etc. etc.), and I thought it was freaking awesome. Sooo, I just bought it and it will be adorning the increasingly-decorated walls of Casa Jolie.
There’s a pretty cool history behind it. Masses of them were made in 1939 by the British government (you know, in case that nasty German chap came calling), but for some reason, the poster was barely distributed, and most of the 2.5 million copies printed were destroyed. In 2000, one poster was discovered in a second-hand bookshop, and the rest is history.
Here are links to the other two wartime morale posters in the series, which were much more widely distributed, though printed in fewer quantities: Freedom Is In Peril; Defend It With All Your Might and Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory. I love them all, but Keep Calm is my favorite.
Tags: Freedom is in peril; defend it with all your might, Keep Calm and Carry On, wartime posters, your cheerfulness, Your courage, your resolution will bring us victory
3 Responses to “Keep Calm and Carry On!”
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June 24th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
I can’t believe the timing of this post! Yesterday I was shopping, saw a dish towel with the “Stay Calm and Carry On” phrase on it and bought it. I’d never heard the phrase before and decided it needed to be my new mantra. And then I see your blog! Very cool to learn where the phrase came from and the historical significance behind it.
June 24th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
I can’t believe the timing of this either! I was just in Target today and there was all kinds of things adorned with this phrase. I too had never heard the phrase, but automatically bought a little poster of it for above my desk since I’m prone to the freak outs.
June 30th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Ack! It was only a matter of time before Target started mass-producing this fabulous sign. Darn them! I found my a couple years ago from sfgirlbybay (who some of you may know from her amazing blog!) http://www.etsy.com/shop/sfgirlbybay