Monday, March 12, 2012

Keep Calm and Carry On

Apartment therapy recently posted this lovely post and video explaining the history of the now iconic, Keep Calm and Carry On poster.

Image courtesy of the Barter Books' online shop for their Keep Calm products.

The book store where one of the originals now resides, Barter Books, looks amazing in and of itself. The old train station waiting rooms have been kept while a model train runs on top of the book shelves that sit where the real trains once did. KC&CO is something that seems to have become unbelievably popular in the last few years, spawning a whack load of paraphernalia and parodies. I had no idea that there was actually three design for the final poster, including KC&CO. The other two, which you can now get in reproductions are "Freedom is in peril, defend it with all your might" and "Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution, will bring us victory."
All three designs, available here.

I know a lot of people who can't stand this design anymore since it's overdone. I understand that sentiment, but I love it. It's simple, classical and has a great sentiment that still holds true. All the more reason to preserve and celebrate our history and its artifacts. Finds like this in bookstore storage rooms make me feel great about the work I hope to do as an archivist and preservationist.

The story of Keep Calm and Carry On, by Barter Books Ltd.

One last one by kspeddler on Etsy.



Back to my preservation presentation.

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