Project 2

Research Task 1: Posters

One of the earliest posters I remember owning as a child is this from World War I:

[1] View full-size

I think I had purchased it at the Duxford War Museum, which isn't all that far from where I live. Back then, at that age I was quite taken with images of war. My grandfather who I had never met served in the Merchant Navy and my grandmother had stories of the Blitz from living in Romford, just outside London.

Here is another war poster, this one being from World War II:

[2] View full-size

I remember being warned about careless talk as a child - though not at all in the same context.

I had a look in the library and found 'World War I in 40 Posters' [3] which contained posters originating from different countries involved in the war. I was surprised at just how many posters were seeking funds for the war effort, but even more surprised to find a poster created by a 16yr old schoolgirl:

[4] View full-size

Another surprising aspect from the book is that images of women (the 'sex sells' mentality) also appeal to women. I would have thought that this chosen imagery would cause the opposite. Maybe it goes along the lines that people are more likely to trust a woman than a man?

References:

[1] WORLD WAR I: POSTER, 1914 Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener on the British recruiting poster of 1914 (poster), Leete, Alfred (1882-1933) / Bridgeman Images

[2] Keep Mum - She's Not so Dumb! - Careless Talk Costs Lives, 1941 (litho), Forster, Harold (fl.1941) (attr. to) / Imperial War Museum, London, UK / © Imperial War Museums / Bridgeman Images

[3] Linder, AP 2016, World War I in 40 Posters, Stackpole Books, Blue Ridge Summit. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [11 November 2025].

[4] Soignons la Basse-Cour [Let's Look After the Farmyard] Available at:
Imperial War Museum (Accessed: 11 November 2025)