Potatoes Set Our Shipping Free Potatoes Give You Energy

Place Europe: United Kingdom
Accession Number ARTV03463
Collection type Art
Measurement Sheet: 74.7 cm x 49.5 cm
Object type Poster
Physical description Offset lithograph on paper
Maker Unknown
H.M. Stationery Office
James Haworth & Brother
Place made United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London
Date made c.1939-1945
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

British Second World War poster issued by the Ministry of Agriculture. It depicts three dancing potato sailors set against a blue background. One in the foreground is larger than the others and has HMAS Victory inscribed in his hat band. This poster, linked with the 'Potato Pete' campaign, links the urgency of the U-Boat situation in the North Atlantic with domestic gardening on the home front. Potatoes were preferred to bread, which had become a difficult good to purchase. Potatoes were preferred because they could be grown at home, or in commons, freeing up vital shipping trade with North America.