Outbreak 1939, Imperial War Museum, London

20 August 2009 to 6 August 2010. Free admission.

“At 11.15am on 3 September 1939, the British public heard Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announce that Britain and France were at war with Germany.

Seventy years after the announcement that signified the start of the Second World War and changed the lives of millions, this special exhibition explores how being a nation at war shaped the lives of ordinary men and women as well as those who were actively involved in the political negotiations and their aftermath. Historical material and personal memorabilia will illustrate the build-up to war, an hour-by-hour countdown of events on 3 September, and the early months of the conflict.”

Great online poster gallery, with explanation on a number of posters, some of which I recognise! 22nd October, get an exclusive tour with Terry Charman.

The Independent has already given a review, to which I have responded that it’s rather strange if the Imperial War Museum have put Keep Calm and Carry On up as posters from 1939… that’ll be one to address in Creating and Consuming history module in Semester 2! Culture 24 also has an expanded article with a lot of interesting information!

Why Keep Calm and Carry On Now?

An article on household decorating highlights the current popularity of “Keep Calm and Carry On”

Alain Samson, a social psychologist at the London School of Economics, says that people currently find the poster’s words “positive and reassuring in a period of uncertainty, anxiety, and even perhaps of cynicism”.

Read more in this interesting article, which also explains (obliquely) why Cath Kidston has just opened a new store in Winchester (which always seems to be teeming with people coming out with bags!)