Your Eyes Are More Useful. More Becoming. and Easier to Wear Than False Ones... Accession Number: ARTV03499

Description

British Second World War posters and several in a series of accident prevention posters issued by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) aimed at workers in the industrial factories and workshops supplying the British War effort. During the war, it was important to have each work-age individual available for work. These are two of a number of posters that caution against reckless behavior. In this instance eye protection and sky larking are targeted respectively.

recto: This poster features a strong graphic image of lots of glass eyes floating against a dark blue background. Surrealist in influence this poster was designed by F Kenwood Giles.

verso: This poster features a cartoon by Montague Philip Mendoza. The cartoon is based around the antics of Percy Vere. Originally to be called 'Little Johnny Green Pants' this character was commissioned by ROSPA. It is an adapted more sympathetic version of ' The Man you'd like to kick' who Mendoza created for the Sunday Express under his nom de plum 'Flam'.

The cartoon is in comic-strip for with 6 sections running form top left to bottom right. The first 3 sections show Percy Vere skylarking at work and falling into the sea only to be rescued by an older co-worker who points to a sign 'Skylarking is dangerous'. The lower three sections show the co-worker leading Percy to safety only to trip and fall into the sea himself. The final section shows Percy pointing to a sign saying 'Mind your step'.

All ROSPA's industrial posters where printed by Loxley Brothers of Sheffield.

Details

Conflicts

• Second World War, 1939-1945

Places

• United Kingdom

Tags

• Industrial safety