Keep Calm and Carry On

Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of the Second World War, intended to raise the morale of the British public under the threat of impending invasion. It was little known and never used.

In the Spring of 1939, with war against Germany all but inevitable, the British Government’s Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to be distributed throughout the country at the onset of hostilities. … The posters were intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.

The intent of the poster was to convey a message from the King to his people, to assure them that ‘all necessary measures to defend the nation were being taken’, and to stress an ‘attitude of mind’ rather than a specific aim.

At the end of August 1939 three designs went into production… The first poster, of which over a million were printed, carried a slogan suggested by a civil servant named Waterfield. Using the crowns of George VI as the only graphic device, the stark red and white poster read ‘Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory’. … The third design, of which over 2.5 million posters were printed, simply read ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’.

… The ‘Keep Calm’ posters were held in reserve, intended for use only in times of crisis or invasion. Although some may have found there way onto Government office walls, the poster was never officially issued and so remained virtually unseen by the public – unseen, that is, until a copy turned up more than fifty years later (2001) in a box of dusty old books bought in auction. (Barter Books)

I recently found this poster on Simply Fresh Designs. At first, I just passed it by, not really liking the style. The quote never really meant anything to me until today...After cleaning up messes all day long, then fighting with my girls to go to bed and picking up the books in their room 3 times!!! I took a deep breath, called their Dad, and tried not to scream, cry, or throw things (not a good thing to let my kids see) and this quote came to mind. As hard as it is some days to carry on, we do. I'll admit that I'm not the best at keeping calm and it's something that I want to do better. So, I printed out a copy and hung it on my wall as my new motto.

Keep Calm and Carry On!