When war broke out in August, 1914, many companies rushed to get souvenir premium items onto the market before it was all over by Christmas. Basing their hopes on the bounty that was earned by the chocolate companies during the recent Boer War, Ridgways put out this patriotic tea tin in 1914. Obviously manufactured before the reality of war hit home, the lithographs include a fanciful cavalry charge, a nursing scene, a homage to Baden-Powells Boy Scouts, Sir John French, Admiral John Jellicoe and finally the soon to be famous and then dead Lord Kitchener.
Another simple bit of propaganda, mocking the Fuhrer. Looking at the material that propagandists used to attack the Germans, it focused mostly on Adolf Hitler. He was characterised as being a carpet biter, portrayed as a monkey or a rat or, as in this example, there was a toilet joke in there somewhere. This looks mid-war American, unofficial and designed for the home front. Let’s say it together, Fuck Hitler.
Very cool items here. This is a pair of medium sized posters I obtained from Henrik in Germany. He told me that a civil servant has retired who had found these in storage in the 70’s. Crisp edges, appropriate spotting, all as you would expect. The text translates to “One People, One Nation, One Leader”. The poster was printed by the offset printer Carl Werner of Reichenbach. By the way, fuck Hitler!
