René of the Day // 10.5.11 // Keep calm and carry on

So you've likely seen the trendy phrase with the crown of King George IV on metal signs, coasters, tshirts and other cute and unnecessary garb. And it's a great thought, right? Deal with it and continue. Suck it in, sugar coated. But where did this newly merchandised mantra begin? I was browsing at one of my favorite local bookstores, Joseph Beth Booksellers, and saw a small section of items with this phrase emblazoned across them. And as I picked one up, it featured the story - so I had to share. Believe it or not, it is a historical reference, not a quote from one of the Kardashians (I don't even understand who they are or why anyone cares - I just know they're famous.)

So here's the tale... It was originally a poster created by the British government's Ministry of Administration in 1939 at the beginning of World War II to raise morale in the event of the invasion. It wasn't very well known as distribution wasn't wide spread. Rediscovered in 2000 in a bookstore called Barter Books and artistic works are created by the UK government are free to the public domain after 50 years, it was commercialized and has become a current pop culture icon. Most of the posters were destroyed in the 1940s. Although it's now relevant to the recession, I wonder what kind of art the United States government would produce to improve morale - if they ever would. Pretty incredible how a piece of political propaganda from 72 years ago has become a widely recognized and inspirational piece of 21st century art.

An original poster from 1939