British World War II home front travel time advisory poster
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 6.000 inches (15.24 cm) | Width: 20.000 inches (50.8 cm)
Creator(s)
- H.M. (Her Majesty’s) Stationery Office (Publisher)
- Ministry of Labour and National Service (Issuer)
- Wm. Brown & Co. Ltd. (Printer)
- British Information Services (Distributor)
- Ministry of War Transport (Issuer)
Archival History
The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Suzanne Herskovic Ponder.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Suzanne Herskovic Ponder
Scope and Content
Small wartime poster used in Great Britain to promote public travel between times that would not interfere with the commutes of workers essential for the war economy. After the fall of France, in June of 1940, Great Britain was left alone to withstand the full force of the German military. The country needed every citizen to do their part and assist in national defense. The poster was issued by the Ministry of Labour & National Service and the Ministry of War Transport for publication by Her Majesty’s Stationary Office (HMSO). The Ministry of War Transport was created to control shipping, public and private transportation policy, safety, and the resources of Great Britain during World War II. The Ministry of Labour was responsible for managing Great Britain’s economy, including human and material resources, and turned it into a war economy focused on production for the war effort. Workers were tied to jobs that were considered essential and employers were prevented from terminating workers without permission from the government. The HMSO was founded in the 1780s to provide documentary support and paper based supplies for the British government. The office was instructed to supervise the printing of 78 million ration books and instruction manuals on everything from cooking to air raids before the outbreak of World War II.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Restrictions on use. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum does not own copyright to this material. No information about the copyright was included on the Deed of Gift.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Horizontal banner poster printed on medium weight off white paper with one line of red text followed by four lines of black printed text in the center. Flanking the text are two images. The left image shows two women sitting on a bench. The woman on the left is older and wears a blue knee length coat with a thick, white fur collar, and has a basket of goods on her lap and another at her feet. The woman on the right wears a red knee length coat, has a child on her lap with boxes and bags by her feet. The right image shows a woman in a blue uniform with a red satchel standing on a trolley with her hand raised, facing a man in a blue suit with a red box slung over his shoulder, attempting to board with more people waiting. The back has a black stamp on the right side and is acid burned with an image from being in contact with another poster.
back, stamped, black ink : BRITISH INFORMATION SERVICES / 30 Rockefeller Plaza / New York City
Corporate Bodies
- Great Britain. Her Majesty's Stationery Office
- British Information Services
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Civilian.
- World War, 1939-1945--Great Britain--Posters.
- Executive departments.
- Travel.
- War propaganda.
- Great Britain.
- Commuters--Great Britain--History.
- World War, 1939-1945--Great Britain.
Genre
- Posters
- Posters.
- Object