Barter Books and the Keep Calm poster
Posted: April 7, 2012 Filed under: Books | Tags: barter books, books, england, history, keep calm, keep calm and carry on, posters, reading, world war 2, world war two 2 Comments »
The Keep Calm poster from Barter Books, Northumberland, England
by Dick Loftin
You have probably seen the “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster. You have also probably seen variations of the Keep Calm theme such as “Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes,” “Keep Calm and Make Coffee,” and what has to be the favorite of men all around the world, “Keep Calm and Put Bacon On.” But where did the “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster originate? It is an icon of World War Two. One of three posters specifically created to keep spirits high during one of the most dangerous periods in world history. The posters became an iconic symbol of faith and determination then, and again in 2000, after their discovery in a box acquired among a collection of books purchased at an auction by Barter Books in Northumberland, England.
Watch the video of the Keep Calm poster story and Barter Books here.
Read a profile of the Keep Calm poster and Barter Books from JournalLive.co.uk here.
Visit the Barter Books website here. After seeing the video and browsing the website, I have now added Barter Books to my bucket list!
Thanks for your post. That video was so neat, it just perks you up, the music and the narriation. I knew a little bit about where the phrase came from but this is so detailed. The first time I saw it was in a Watson Kennedy store on the best vacation/weekend getaway trip to Seattle last year. Since then it’s held some sort of significance and great memories. Anyways, I’m rambling on, great post!
Thanks for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it. -Dick Loftin