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Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case Y, Shelf 67, Box E

Ocean Front Exhibition

Poster
ca. 1944 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Ministry of Information had the task of disseminating ideas to the British public. Its aim was to present material that would intensify certain public beliefs - in this case, to support the war effort throughout World War II. To this effect, the Ministry staged a series of free exhibitions in central London's busy Charing Cross public transport station in order to expose Britons to pro-Allied forces propaganda. This poster shows a view of the Allies valiantly defeating the Japanese forces by air and by sea.

It is interesting to note that Goebbels is said to have modelled the German Propaganda Ministry on the effectiveness of the British Ministry.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleOcean Front Exhibition (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour photo-lithography
Brief description
Wartime propaganda exhibition poster issued by the Ministry of Information. UK, ca. 1944.
Physical description
Black & white photographic image of a sea battle seen through a bomb damage-induced hole. Black puffs of smke dominate the skyline and seascape. Text.
Dimensions
  • Height: 61.8cm
  • Width: 50.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • OCEAN/ FRONT (white on red, upper right corner)
  • EXHIBITION (grey)
  • The Air-Sea War Against Japan (red on black)
  • At charing Cross Underground Station . Admission Free/ Feb. 22 to Mar. 19. 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. . Sundays included (white on black)
  • PRODUCED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION (grey on black)
  • PROOF/ 11 Feb 1944 (stamped [across 'O' of OCEAN])
Credit line
Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
The Ministry of Information had the task of disseminating ideas to the British public. Its aim was to present material that would intensify certain public beliefs - in this case, to support the war effort throughout World War II. To this effect, the Ministry staged a series of free exhibitions in central London's busy Charing Cross public transport station in order to expose Britons to pro-Allied forces propaganda. This poster shows a view of the Allies valiantly defeating the Japanese forces by air and by sea.

It is interesting to note that Goebbels is said to have modelled the German Propaganda Ministry on the effectiveness of the British Ministry.
Other number
LS.1894 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Accession number
E.734-2004

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Record createdSeptember 20, 2004
Record URL
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