It's a Long Way to Rome
Poster
April 1944 (made)
April 1944 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Allied forces had landed in Southern Italy from Sicily in early September 1943. The difficult terrain and tenacious German defence slowed progress towards Rome. The poster claims that a snail travelling at 0.8 metres a minute for 191 days would have advanced 320 kilometres [actually 220] by 1 April 1944, whereas the Allies had achieved only 180 kilometres. However, after the German defence line and Monte Cassino were stormed in mid-May 1944, the Allies moved on rapidly to liberate Rome on June 5 1944. The style of this poster suggests it was probably designed by a French artist.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | It's a Long Way to Rome (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour lithograph |
| Brief description | "It's a Long Way to Rome" Anonymous propaganda poster probably commissioned by the German forces occupying France. April, 1944. Colour lithograph. |
| Physical description | Colour lithograph depicting a snail travelling the length of Italy. |
| Dimensions |
|
| 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 | Allied forces had landed in Southern Italy from Sicily in early September 1943. The difficult terrain and tenacious German defence slowed progress towards Rome. The poster claims that a snail travelling at 0.8 metres a minute for 191 days would have advanced 320 kilometres [actually 220] by 1 April 1944, whereas the Allies had achieved only 180 kilometres. However, after the German defence line and Monte Cassino were stormed in mid-May 1944, the Allies moved on rapidly to liberate Rome on June 5 1944. The style of this poster suggests it was probably designed by a French artist. |
| Other number | LS.2567 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1979-2004 |
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| Record created | November 3, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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