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Closed for the duration - Loose talk can cost lives

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

'Closed for the duration', World War II poster warning against careless depicting a man with his mouth covered with tape. The man's head and neck are seen, face on, against a green background, and he has neatly combed black hair. Two pieces of tape are stuck over his mount in an 'X' shape. Above the image, is the slogan, 'Closed for the duration', and below the image, printed in black on a yellow 'banner', 'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives'.

Object details

Categories
Prints
Propaganda
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleClosed for the duration - Loose talk can cost lives (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Paper
Ink
Lithography
Brief description
'Closed for the Duration', World War II poster warning against careless talk depicting a man with his mouth covered, by Howard Scott, issued by British and American Ambulance Corps., 1942
Physical description
'Closed for the duration', World War II poster warning against careless depicting a man with his mouth covered with tape. The man's head and neck are seen, face on, against a green background, and he has neatly combed black hair. Two pieces of tape are stuck over his mount in an 'X' shape. Above the image, is the slogan, 'Closed for the duration', and below the image, printed in black on a yellow 'banner', 'Loose Talk Can Cost Lives'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 50.7cm
  • Width: 35.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'CLOSED / FOR THE DURATION' (Above the image, in black letters)
  • 'LOOSE TALK / CAN COST LIVES' (Below the image, printed in black against a yellow tape or banner)
  • 'Howard / Scott' (Immediately below the image, on the right-hand side, in green ink)
  • '© 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
Men
Tape
World War II
Associated objects
Other number
LS.520 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.597-2004

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Record createdMarch 29, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122418/closed-for-the-duration--poster-scott-howard/
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