![]() The type on the poster is set in Caslon Egyptian (1816), thought to be the first sans serif typeface to be sold commercially. A stark instruction intended to be taken on faith, all on the oh so calm bright blood-red background. There’s no reason given, no explanation, nothing inherent to the design or the typography that makes it calming or comforting or persuasive: just the ultimate in propaganda. Telling people to “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON” is about as comforting as saying “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” or “YOU ALMOST CERTAINLY SHUT YOUR FRONT DOOR PROPERLY”. It’s an anti-design design where the only brief is to simply shout a message as loudly and clearly as possible. It’s the government-sanctioned equivalent of a quickly-typed office note ordering workers “DO NOT LEAVE DIRTY MUGS IN SINK”. So what’s the big problem with this phe-nostalgia-menon? Where did it appear from? And when will it all end? Present-day Britain has been invaded by a legion of KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON posters, mugs, T shirts and other items of generic derivative tat. And so you have never had cause to see posters bearing the message ‘KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON’, as, after they were designed in 1939, they were never used. Secondly, the good news is that the 1940s Britain you’ve just left was never invaded by Germany. ![]() You should fit in to present-day Britain: Europe seems to be in disarray, Britain is being ruled by a coalition government, and the Daily Mail is still trying to pretend it was never sympathetic towards fascism. If you have just been flung 70 years through time, and, somehow, found yourself reading this blog, let me explain.įirstly, 1940s time traveller, don’t panic (my advice would be to keep calm and carry on). Ironically, one of the few reasons you might not be aware of the Second World War KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON branded poster/teatowel/mug/notebook/keyring/home pregnancy testing kit trend is if you’ve time travelled from the early 1940s. ![]()
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