Keep Calm and Carry On
Since 2000, the WWII-era propaganda images that appeared on a number of posters loosely known as the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ series have been experiencing a steady resurgence in popularity. The original poster, produced in 1939, is a perfect reflection of the then and now-famous power of British resolve with those five simple words – keep calm and carry on – neatly typed beneath an image of the royal crown. Although there were others, and I love them all, this one is my favorite with its simple message to not panic. It’s an image I want to wrap myself in daily and one that is currently striking a resounding cord with people around the globe.
While the original poster was mass-produced (it’s said that 2.5 million were made), it never saw the light of day; two others that were also created suffered a similar fate. And they might have remained hidden in the proverbial closet except for one man who, it has been reported, found one of the posters in a box of old books he bought at auction. That discovery was then copied and eventually led to it being featured as a holiday gift item in a British newspaper supplement – and the imagery took off.
So what was the original intention of the series and why the strong connection to it now, some seventy years later?
I got the opportunity to interview the amazing Hayley Thwaites and Lucas Lepola of the Keep Calm Gallery in London. The gallery is run online, out of their home and features not only the ‘Keep Calm’ prints, but several other propaganda posters as well. Below is the interview, where we talk art and politics. Both, I think, are perfectly socially acceptable dinner party conversation.
