British World War Two propaganda artworks released on Wikipædia

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British World War Two propaganda artworks released on Wikipædia

Some excellent news now for those of us interested in the beautifully-illustrated artwork that was used in Second World War propaganda posters (that would be all of us, I imagine!).  The National Archives, who hold in their collection nearly 2,000 war posters - originally commissioned by the Ministry of Information - have partnered with Wikimedia UK to begin making all of them freely available in the public domain.

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More than 350 images of classic wartime propaganda posters have already been put up, with the remainder to be digitised and uploaded in the near future.  This means that nearly 400 evocative (and high-resolution!) pictures from 1939-45 are available to view, download and (with proper attribution, of course) use on your blogs or however you wish!

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As well as being a welcome endeavour from the point of view of free use and availability it is also, as with any move to put historical documents online, an important and worthy undertaking that ensures these valuable images are saved and accessible for future generations.  (I seem to say that every time old documents are scanned by an organisation, but I stand by it).  A hearty well done to The National Archives and Wikimedia UK for being willing and able to set this project in motion.  Like this poster says:-

Addendum

In other related news I feel it is only right to include a link to the recent obituary of Maureen Dunlop de Popp, an Anglo-Argentinian lady who was one of the few woman pilots to join the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) service in the Second World War.  The passing of such a remarkable person is not happy news but her long and exciting life certainly is and it is only right that it should be remembered.  Maureen Dunlop de Popp's parting leaves one less ATA-girl in the world but reminds us of the great risks and important work undertaken by her and thousands of women like her in the Services during the war.  We will never forget them.

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Maureen Dunlop [de Popp] (1920-2012), pictured on the cover of
Picture Post in 1944 when serving as First Officer in the ATA

A history of accident prevention posters revealed

A history of accident prevention posters revealed

We tend to bemoan the modern Health & Safety culture, deeming it to be a product of today's risk-averse society where common sense and personal responsibility are going the same way as common courtesy and good manners.  We look at the past as a time when danger was a far greater fact of life and litigation was something reserved for serious crimes.

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To an extent this outlook is true, but safety at work and play was very much considered even as long ago as the 1930s as this latest display from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' archives goes to prove.

In pictures: RoSPA posters go on display

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Far more stylish than today's stark warnings, these old posters still manage to get their point across with ease and directness, while at the same time making the viewer think more clearly and (in some cases) to see how such accidents can occur and the results of them.  It is remarkable to note the difference between the modern "instructive" format and the older "advisory" approach.  Like so many things in those days - film, television programmes, newspapers - people were obviously expected to have a brain and to reason out and make inferences from these signs rather than be spoon-fed ever more comprehensive instructions as they are today.  Whether such a style of warning sign would work now I wouldn't like to say, but I know which I prefer!

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These images form just a minuscule part of 700 posters dating from between the 1930s and 1970s that were found by RoSPA while they were clearing out one of their warehouses (and obeying Health & Safety regulations, one imagines!).  Now they can be saved for future generations, as indeed they have been with photographic copies being displayed in Birmingham and prints available online from The RoSPA Collection.

These warning posters provide a fascinating insight into a past that was also concerned with safety, but which went about it in a far more wide-ranging, all-encapsulating manner.  I could see my old workplace being spruced up quite nicely with a few of these numbers.  They're great fun to look at, but the message is still clear.  Don't forget to be careful out there!

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Railway memorabilia from the golden age of steam

Railway memorabilia from the golden age of steam

Some truly evocative images here, from what is rightly called the golden age of railway travel. It is easy to forget in these days of over-running engineering works, rail-replacement services and leaves on the line that before Dr Beeching's cuts in the 1960s the railway network reached every corner of the country and was the predominant mode of transport for the British holidaymaker.

These posters that this fellow has spent a lifetime collecting hark back to a long forgotten Britain. Somehow I can't see that style of advertisement working today with our modern trains, more's the pity!