Day 59: The Story of Keep Calm and Carry On

Today I watched a short, sweet video about the history of an iconic print, the "Keep Calm and Carry On" image.

I didn't know anything about this poster except that I see it all over the place on tshirts, bags and of course, walls. I figured it was the tagline of a well-to-do clothing store.

In reality, the poster was a rarely seen British propaganda poster from WWII. Before the war officially begun the British government issued warning signs to be hung around the country to keep morale up during the terrible times ahead. Three posters were created: "Freedom is in Peril. Defend it With All Your Might", "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory", and of course "Keep Calm and Carry On". While the first two were used heavily throughout the war, the third was held in reserve and used only for the most trying of situations (wasn't all of WWII pretty trying??).

The design of the posters were carefully considered. The image of the crown was added to give the idea that this was a direct message from the Royal Family to the people. A unique font and style were selected to prevent enemies from copying the posters or sabotaging them.

The posters were a huge success, then faded to obscurity after the war. A copy of the Keep Calm was rediscovered in an old box of used books by a bookseller in Northumberland in 2000. The poster was hung on the wall of the store and garnered so much attention they decided to start selling prints. In less than 9 years the store sold around 41,000 copies. And the rest, as they say, is poster history.

The film, all 3 minutes of it, can be found on youtube:

Until tomorrow, keep calm and carry on!

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