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This chapter introduces the different
agencies involved in poster production, particularly
the Ministry of Information (MOI). The administrative
history of the MOI in the Second World War has already
been well covered by McLaine and Balfour. This chapter
briefly considers the pre-war plans for the MOI. War
was anticipated in 1935, and planning was started, and
the experience of the First World War was looked to,
although records had been mislaid. There were problems
with implementing plans for the MOI due to conflict
with many government departments, which now had publicity
departments and did not want to give up their responsibilities
to a central organisation. The general perception of
the MOI is as a disorganised and shambolic organisation,
although this idea is being challenged more recently,
with recognition that extensive and pragmatic, but over-idealised,
plans were made. Media reactions were largely negative,
possibly because of restrictions on free press. In September
1938 the Munich Crisis occurred, and the MOI was mobilised
for two days. It was still considered not to be ready.
The MOI became a formal government Ministry in September
1939, and went through four different Ministers in the
war: Macmillan, Reith, Cooper, Bracken. The chapter
looks at the role of the poster division within the
MOI (under Edwin Embleton), and its relations with other
departments.
This chapter considers how
posters were commissioned, produced and distributed,
and how much control the government had over this
process. It questions who made the decisions, and
how much control there was over design, for artists
and for the government. The chapter questions whether
artists offered their services or whether they were
chosen. If they were chosen, were they chosen for
their reputations, from the traditional or modern
design fields, or from the graphic design professions?
Were any of the associated professions reserved occupations?
Were the posters produced in house or by outside agencies?
The chapter looks at how the posters were distributed
(on a national or local level), and whether it was
voluntary or compulsory to display them.
The final part of the chapter will
focus on the commissioning, production and distribution
of the first government campaign: Your Courage. Many believed
that the poster demonstrated a lack of planning, but
the planning began early in 1939. The design was 'traditional',
in the style of a proclamation, with a message from
the Crown. The poster was generally perceived as a
failure, and this chapter questions how accurate this
view was, and whether the campaign was a self-perpetuating
failure because of bad press. Largely based upon The
National Archive (Public Record Office) INF Files.
See: Extract
from thesis
-
Balfour, Michael Propaganda
in War 1939-1945, Organisations, Policies and
Publics in Britain and Germany 1979
See
More... (Out of Print)
- Chapman, J. The
British at War: Cinema, State and Propaganda, 1939-1945
1997 See
More...
- Cooper, D. Old
Men Forget: An Autobiography of Duff Cooper
1953 (Out of Print)
- Cruickshank, C.Fourth
Arm: Psychological Warfare: Psychological Warfare
1938-45 1975 (Out of Print)
- Grant, M.Propaganda
and the Role of the State in Inter-War Britain
1994 (Out of Print)
-
Macmillan, Lord A Man of Law's Tale 1952
- Mass-Observation Change No. 2 1939
-
McLaine, I. Ministry
of Morale: Home Front Morale and the Ministry
of Information in World War Two 1979 See
More... (Out of Print)
- Nicolson, N. (Ed) Diaries
and Letters: Harold Nicolson (The War Years
1939-1945) 1967 (Out of Print)
- Reith, J. Into the Wind 1949
- Stuart, C. The
Reith Diaries 1975 (Out of Print)
- Taylor, P.M. 'If War Should Come: Preparing the
Fifth Arm for Total War 1935-1939', Journal of
Contemporary History Vol. 16, 1981
- Taylor, P.M.The Projection of Britain: British
Overseas Publicity and Propaganda 1919-1939
1981(Out of Print)
- Weight, R., 'State, Intelligentsia and the Promotion
of National Culture in Britain, 1939-45', Historical
Research Vol. 69, No. 168, February 1996
- Willcox, T., 'Towards a Ministry of Information',
History Vol. 69, pp.398-414. October 1984
See PhD
Proposal and Bibliography
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