GLC Peace Posters Pack
Designer
Peter Kennard
United Kingdom, born 1949
Publisher
Greater London Council
Date1983
MediumOffset Lithograph
Dimensions12 1/4 x 16 3/4 in. (31.1 x 42.5 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.9097
DescriptionBetween 1965 and 1986, the Greater London Council was the main government body within London. It declared that 1983 would be its “peace year,” an initiative aimed at highlighting the city as a nuclear-free zone through a range of cultural projects, including concerts, public art, exhibitions, and posters. These efforts openly opposed the policies of the British government. Peter Kennard competed with a number of major PR firms to secure the commission for part of the official campaign. His 18 posters were issued in a portfolio that was distributed to schools, trade unions, city-owned laundromats, and even the United Nations. Some of the imagery had appeared in earlier posters by the designer, while others proved so powerful that they were reissued over the subsequent decades. Many of these posters incorporate subject matter or phrases specific to the United Kingdom. The Firth of Clyde in Scotland was home to Europe’s largest nuclear arsenal, including 18 submarines with combined firepower greater than that of both atomic bombs used against Japan in World War II; the phrase “use your loaf” is similar to the American phrase “use your head” (i.e. “think”). Meanwhile, “just cruising” refers to the cruise missiles stationed in Greenham Common, and the famous portrait of Queen Victoria has been altered to include Margaret Thatcher’s face while she holds a missile instead of a fan (referencing the prime minister’s desire to return to “Victorian values”). On View
Not on view
