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Loose talk can cost lives

Poster
1942 (made)
Artist/Maker
British and American Ambulance Corps. (issued by)
Dohanos, Stevan (designer)
Place of origin
United States (made)

'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives', World War II poster warning against careless talk, depicting a sinking ship. The ship is half submerged in a calm sea, and dotted around it are sailors swimming towards three lifeboats, already containing many men.

Below the image, against the background of the sea, printed in black on a white 'banner' is the slogan, 'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives'.

Object details

Categories
Prints
Propaganda
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleLoose talk can cost lives (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Paper
Ink
Lithography
Brief description
'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives', World War II poster warning against careless talk, depicting a sinking ship, by Stevan Dohanos, issued by British and American Ambulance Corps., 1942
Physical description
'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives', World War II poster warning against careless talk, depicting a sinking ship. The ship is half submerged in a calm sea, and dotted around it are sailors swimming towards three lifeboats, already containing many men.

Below the image, against the background of the sea, printed in black on a white 'banner' is the slogan, 'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 50.8cm
  • Width: 35.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'LOOSE TALK / CAN COST LIVES' (Below the image, printed in red against a black tape or banner)
  • 'Stevan Dohanos' (Along the lower right edge of the image, incorporated into the sea, printed in blue)
  • '© 1942' (Date, in lower left corner)
  • 'DISTRIBUTED IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, AND AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING FUNDS FOR AMBULANCES WHEREVER NEEDED, BRITISH AND AMERICAN AMBULANCE CORPS, INC., 420 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY' (distribution details, running along the lower edge of the poster, in white border, printed in black)
  • 'ART' (Symbol made of an eagle's head, forming the letter 'a', with the letters 'ART' below, within a squared oval)
  • 'LITHO IN U.S.A.' (Along edge in lower left corner, printed in black)
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
War
Security
Propaganda
Espionage
Femininity
Ships
Lifeboats
Seascapes
Men
Sailors
Swimmers
Shipwrecks
World War II
Associated objects
Other number
LS.475 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.591-2004

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Record createdMarch 28, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122410/loose-talk-can-cost-lives-poster-dohanos-stevan/
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