In 1939, the British government was preparing for the unthinkable - Nazi occupation.  The Ministry of Information was given the task of designing a series of posters to motivate the population.  They would be messages from the King to his people, as evidenced by the crown across the top.

A series of three posters was designed, and the first two printed and displayed throughout the country in the summer of 1939.  800,000 of "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" were printed and distributed - the immediate criticism was that the slogan was too complicated, and not easily memorized.

400,000 of "Freedom Is In Peril" were displayed, but the message was thought to be too vague and abstract.

The third poster: "Keep Calm and Carry On" was kept back, even though two and a half million copies were printed.  This was to be used immediately after German occupation, to inspire, comfort and motivate the people.  It was intended as a "last case scenario."

The printed posters remained in storage throughout most of the war, because the German occupation never occurred.  After the end of the war, most of the posters are believed to have been destroyed, and only two original copies survived.

In 2000, an original "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was found by Stuart Manley, the owner of Barter Books, in Alnwick, Northumberland, at the bottom of a box of old books.  Since Crown Copyright on works created by the UK government only lasts for 50 years, the design is now in the public domain.

And now, it's everywhere.  In homes, offices and pubs.  In the PM's Strategy Unit at No. 10, in the US Embassy in Belgium, in the Lord Chancellor's office at Buckingham Palace, in the office of the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University, in the Officers' Mess at Basra.  It's on T-shirts, mugs, baby clothes and flight bags.  Strangely enough, there's a big demand in Germany.  And the banking crisis produced a big demand from American financial firms.  The message is now resonating to a whole different generation, for a whole different reason.

Not to be left behind, DBE in Colorado has had 2" square pins made, depicting the poster. These are for sale as a fundraiser to support our Cause.  They sell for $5 plus postage, and you can This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for details on how to purchase.