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Keep Calm and Carry On: The Truth Behind the Poster
Found on everything these days from tote bags to coffee mugs to t-shirts, “Keep Calm and Carry On” has become one of the most recognizable slogans of the twenty-first century. Yet, how many people who have embraced its pithy sentiment of resilience actually know where it comes from? Here with the answer, this book reveals the truth behind the now famous poster and saying.
Tracing its origins to World War II, Bex Lewis explains how the poster was created to allay public panic in the event of a German invasion. But, this feared invasion never happened, and so the poster would have continued to reside on the dusty shelves of history were it not for a chance discovery of one of the originals by the owners of Barter Books in 2001 who put it on display in their shop in Northumberland. Since then, “Keep Calm” has traveled across the Atlantic and inspired countless variations, becoming arguably the most successful meme in history. This book tells the story of this incredible phenomenon and is richly illustrated throughout with posters and archival photographs.
Tracing its origins to World War II, Bex Lewis explains how the poster was created to allay public panic in the event of a German invasion. But, this feared invasion never happened, and so the poster would have continued to reside on the dusty shelves of history were it not for a chance discovery of one of the originals by the owners of Barter Books in 2001 who put it on display in their shop in Northumberland. Since then, “Keep Calm” has traveled across the Atlantic and inspired countless variations, becoming arguably the most successful meme in history. This book tells the story of this incredible phenomenon and is richly illustrated throughout with posters and archival photographs.
- GenresNonfiction
64 pages, Hardcover
Published February 15, 2018
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 24, 2019
Keep Calm and Carry On: The Truth Behind the Poster by Bex Lewis is a small book of eighty pages, chosen because I was interested in the subject matter of course but also because I wanted to make sure I finished reading and reviewing my books before Mark and I go on holiday next week. This microbiography was also fittingly printed in microscopic print; this is so typical of British books. I wonder if the entire population of the British Isles either has eagle-eye vision or is otherwise now blind. Keep Calm had endnotes yet the superscript digits were so small I wasn't aware that they were even there.
Lewis spent the first half of the book looking at British poster history, focussing at first on the Great War and the role of propaganda in making posters effective. I realize that she needed to establish a background for the WWII title subject but I didn't find it all too interesting.
Lewis traced the origin of the modern "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster meme, where variations and parodies of its simple slogan pop up everywhere. "Keep Calm and Carry On" was a slogan chosen because it conveyed "a determination not to give in, it created a sense of resilience and resistance, to continue as normal, whatever happens." The posters were "held in reserve for immediate posting should the necessity arrive, e.g. immediately following a severe air-raid". What I found most revealing in this short book was that these posters were never officially used. When the anticipated air raids never happened, the posters were taken to the various dumps across Britain. By the time Britain was bombed during the blitz, the Ministry of Information realized "that this kind of message was inappropriate in a war in which the nation was constituted through shared suffering." The posters' ubiquity in the twenty-first century is doubly ironic in that they were being displayed during peacetime as well as for the first time. Why then did this poster (re)appear decades after the end of WWII?
Twenty years ago Stuart and Mary Manley of Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland found a folded poster in the bottom of a box of books they had purchased at auction. They liked it so much they framed it and put it up in their store. Customers were always asking about it so the Manleys had five hundred copies printed. They were safe to do so since the poster and slogan were not under copyright. From 2001 on, the poster took on a life of its own. Freed from the dump, it caught people's eyes with its simple message. Nostalgic as well as promoting a spirit of stability during a time of chaos, the message resonated with audiences all over the world. You cannot go anyplace today without finding some humorous variation of the wartime message.
Lewis spent the first half of the book looking at British poster history, focussing at first on the Great War and the role of propaganda in making posters effective. I realize that she needed to establish a background for the WWII title subject but I didn't find it all too interesting.
Lewis traced the origin of the modern "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster meme, where variations and parodies of its simple slogan pop up everywhere. "Keep Calm and Carry On" was a slogan chosen because it conveyed "a determination not to give in, it created a sense of resilience and resistance, to continue as normal, whatever happens." The posters were "held in reserve for immediate posting should the necessity arrive, e.g. immediately following a severe air-raid". What I found most revealing in this short book was that these posters were never officially used. When the anticipated air raids never happened, the posters were taken to the various dumps across Britain. By the time Britain was bombed during the blitz, the Ministry of Information realized "that this kind of message was inappropriate in a war in which the nation was constituted through shared suffering." The posters' ubiquity in the twenty-first century is doubly ironic in that they were being displayed during peacetime as well as for the first time. Why then did this poster (re)appear decades after the end of WWII?
Twenty years ago Stuart and Mary Manley of Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland found a folded poster in the bottom of a box of books they had purchased at auction. They liked it so much they framed it and put it up in their store. Customers were always asking about it so the Manleys had five hundred copies printed. They were safe to do so since the poster and slogan were not under copyright. From 2001 on, the poster took on a life of its own. Freed from the dump, it caught people's eyes with its simple message. Nostalgic as well as promoting a spirit of stability during a time of chaos, the message resonated with audiences all over the world. You cannot go anyplace today without finding some humorous variation of the wartime message.
June 21, 2019
This little hardback book is a fascinating historical exploration of the popularity of Keep Calm and Carry On posters. They’re so ubiquitous now that I was surprised to discover in this book that they were Second World War posters that weren’t even used at the time – reserved for a German invasion that never happened. The discussions on wartime propaganda and initial reception to the posters is interesting, as is the origin of its recent popularity, seemingly out of nowhere.
Dr Bex Lewis teaches at Manchester Met University on digital marketing, and it was fun to find out how her work was involved in the popularising of the poster. Its style is formal and informative rather than chatty, but there are some fascinating discoveries to be had here. Recommended for history or marketing enthusiasts; and if you know anyone interested in these posters, this is the perfect gift book for them.
Dr Bex Lewis teaches at Manchester Met University on digital marketing, and it was fun to find out how her work was involved in the popularising of the poster. Its style is formal and informative rather than chatty, but there are some fascinating discoveries to be had here. Recommended for history or marketing enthusiasts; and if you know anyone interested in these posters, this is the perfect gift book for them.
August 2, 2018
I always felt that the Keep Calm and Carry On fad was a bit out of control. And when we went to London I saw it there too...only to find out, that it was in Britain that the phrase was created. I saw this book at the Churchill War Rooms, and was intrigued. I'm glad I didn't spend the money there and found a copy stateside.
This book was a history on the use of propaganda posters during World War II in Britain. Oddly enough, the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was never used during the war and was long forgotten.
This book was a history on the use of propaganda posters during World War II in Britain. Oddly enough, the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was never used during the war and was long forgotten.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews