Keep calm and carry on. This timeless phrase still offers a sense of encouragement and instills confidence in others. Fortunately, hope never goes out of fashion.
A short film by Temujin Doran tells the story behind the now famous "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster. The poster was one in a series of three posters that the British government commissioned in the spring of 1939, at the beginning of WWII. The posters were intended to bring hope and comfort during a very dark period in history. The first two posters were displayed in shop windows and railway platforms. The "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was held in reserve for a time of crisis and, as fate would have it, this poster ended up never being officially issued.
Decades later, the third poster that had not been seen by the public was rediscovered in boxes at a former railway turned into the bookshop Barter Books in Alnwick Station, Northumberland. Barter Books was begun in 1991 by Stuart & Mary Manley. In 2000 Stuart found the poster in boxes of books that had been bought at auction. Mary liked it so much she had it framed, and the rest is history as the poster became one of the iconic images of the 2st century.
You can watch the film below.
(Collage images designed by me, Chris Olson using photos from the film The Story of Keep Calm and Carry On by Temujin Doran.)
I HEART LONDON
You can read more about my fascination with London here: Flower Drama in London and London Calling and The Story of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" Poster—or on my Facebook page.
