Millions of copies of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster were printed on the eve of World War II, but never displayed. Now the message has taken on a new lease of life in our troubled peacetime.
The simple five-word message is the very model of British restraint and stiff upper lip. Keep calm and carry on.
In 1939, with war against Germany looming, the Government designed three posters to steady the public's resolve and maintain morale. These featured the crown of King George VI set against a bold red background, and three distinctive slogans - "Freedom is in Peril", "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory", and "Keep Calm and Carry On".
Two-and-a-half million copies of "Keep Calm" were printed, to be distributed in the event of a national catastrophe, but remained in storage throughout the war.
The message was all but forgotten until 2000, when a copy was discovered in a box of books bought at auction by Stuart Manley, a bookseller from Northumberland.
5 comments:
Thank you Janet for sharing this:)x
Thanks Janet... this was so interesting and the words resonate so much then and now...
Thanks for sharing...
Sandy S
Kelowna BC Canada
Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you for sharing nice to see where it came from.
hugs Mel
I hadn't realized the background...I really do like the saying, can we yanks steal it (as is our nature LOL)?! Best, CG
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