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Twenty years ago, a 1939 poster printed by the British government with the words ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ turned up in a second-hand bookshop in Northern England. And lo! A decor trend was born: teatowels, T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, condoms, and a zillion riffs on the phrase.
Bookshop owner Stuart Manley talks about unearthing the poster that spawned countless imitations; author Owen Hatherley explains why the poster was NOT, in fact, an exemplar of Blitz Spirit and British bulldog courage and whatnot; and psychologist and therapist Jane Gregory considers whether being told to keep calm can actually keep us calm.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
More information about how the 1939 poster campaign was put together…then taken apart.
This video about the poster turning up at Barter Books makes Barter Books look like the prettiest bookshop in the world! Stuart told me the train set along the top of the bookcases was to stabilise them. Most fun way to stabilise bookcases I can think of.
More background about the poster campaign from the Imperial War Museum.
By Owen Hatherley: “The poster isn’t just a case of the return of the repressed, it is rather the return of repression itself. It is a nostalgia for the state of being repressed – solid, stoic, public spirited, as opposed to the depoliticised, hysterical and privatised reality of Britain over the last 30 years.”
If you absolutely must.
Couple of other shows I’ve been on recently that you might be interested in: I dig into the surprising (to me) etymology of ‘dude’ with Callie Wright on Queersplaining; I popped up on the Stay At Home festival with Robin Ince, Josie Long, George Egg and my brother Andy; and if you have even the slightest inclination to know more about my background, how I work, what goes into this show, humour, podcasting etc, this interview with Stuart Goldsmith on The Comedian’s Comedian is perhaps the most comprehensive I’ve ever done.
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
velleity
CREDITS:
Stuart Manley and his wife Mary own Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland barterbooks.co.uk.
Owen Hatherley is the culture editor of Tribune Magazine and the author of books including The Ministry of Nostalgia, about relics of austerity like Keep Calm and Carry On become nostalgic trends. He tweets @owenhatherley.
Jane Gregory is a a clinical psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapist, whom you heard on episodes A Novel Remedy and Behave. As well as her always interesting blog Cognitive Behave Yourself, check out her new project soundslikemisophonia.com - if you are repulsed by mouth sounds and eating noises, this will be useful to you.
The Allusionist theme is by Martin Austwick. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his new podcast Year of the Bird about the songs he writes.
Find the show at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/helenzaltzman and instagram.com/allusionistshow.
