Be Wise - Economise Your Coal for Winter Accession Number: ARTV02052

Description

British Second World War poster by Bingler promoting fuel savings. With the cost of the war mounting as the years passed, the British Government promoted domestic saving to provide more support for front line action. Many of these 'savings' posters associate home activities with front line activities, underscoring the concept of 'total war'. Issued by the Ministry of Fuel and Power this poster promotes the domestic saving of coal for the winter months. The central image is of a large brown owl perched on a tree branch. The background is dark blue to represent the night and a large moon is silhouetted behind the owl's head. The title and message text runs beneath the image. The poster uses the image of the owl, traditionally associated with wisdom, to advertise the slogan 'be wise, economise'.

This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.

Details

Accession Number
ARTV02052
Artist
Bingler
Publisher/Issued By
Ministry of Fuel and Power
Printer
Fosh & Cross Ltd.
Classification
Art
Object Type
Poster
Measurement
sheet: 76.5 x 51 cm
Medium
offset lithograph on paper
Date Made
c.1939-1945
Place Made
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
Donated in 1946
Copyright
Copyright expired - public domain

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Last modified: 7 September 2025 - 11.43 pm