The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
British Second World War poster depicting a man smoking in a non-smoking railway carriage. The 'no smoking' sign on wall has eyes looking at him. This is one of a series of posters by Cyril Kenneth Bird (1887-1965) that focus on public manners and social customs. Bird, who was a Punch cartoonist, took on the 'Fougasse' pseudonym in the First World War, after the French term for a small land mine 'which might or might not hit the mark'. His approach to the propaganda poster was based on overcoming three obstacles. He wrote:
'Firstly, a general aversion to reading any notice of any sort; secondly, a general disinclination to believe that any notice, even if it was read, can possibly be addressed to oneself; thirdly, a general unwillingness even so to remember the message long enough to do anything about it.'
In overcoming these obstacles, Fougasse used a simple approach: humour, simple stylisation and the uncomplicated communication of messages.
British Second World War poster depicting a man smoking in a non-smoking railway carriage. The 'no smoking' sign on wall has eyes looking at him. This is one of a series of posters by Cyril Kenneth Bi
British Second World War poster depicting a man smoking in a non-smoking railway carriage. The 'no smoking' sign on wall has eyes looking at him. This is one of a series of posters by Cyril Kenneth Bi
British Second World War poster depicts a man in a rush to board a train, knocks over an alighting passenger. This one of a series of posters by Cyril Kenneth Bird (1887-1965) that focus on public man
British Second World War poster depicts man on railway station platform looking at railway carriage, while passengers are jammed together inside doorway. However, there is much more space further in t
British Second World War poster depicts an escalator giving access to/from an Underground (Tube) Station. A line of passengers stands on the right, while one man standing on the left has an 'L' sign
British Second World War poster depicts an escalator giving access to/from an Underground (Tube) Station. A line of passengers stand on the right, while one man standing on the left has an 'L' sign o
British Second World War cautionary poster depicts a dejected labourer surrounded by scrap. A sign above him reads 'SCRAP HEAP' and the message and title of the poster appear below 'PLEASE DON'T ADD T