Government poster campaigns in the Second World War

As part of this year's Chelsea History Festival, David Bownes explores prominent government poster campaigns like 'Make Do and Mend' and 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.
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'But for Heaven's sake, don't say I told you!', poster from the Careless Talk Costs Lives campaign
As part of this year's Chelsea History Festival, David Bownes explores prominent government poster campaigns like 'Make Do and Mend' and 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.

The poster slogans of the Second World War helped to create a sense of shared endeavour during the darkest days of the conflict.

Poster historian David Bownes will reveal the stories behind the successful, and less successful, 'propaganda' campaigns and how the government's approach changed in response to public opinion.

The talk will also explore the crucial role of émigré designers in shaping the visual language of the Home Front, questioning to what extent 'Britishness' was redefined by the Continental artists who had fled Nazi Europe.

David Bownes is a freelance curator, author, and director of Twentieth Century Posters.