Catalogue Number
NMLH.1994.168.557
Object Name
Poster
Title
The West Must Talk with Russia Poster
People
Stalin, Truman, Khrushchev
Events
The Arms Race
Date
1957
Description
Large yellow poster. Yellow background with red text in capital letters. "THE WEST MUST TALK WITH RUSSIA. REDUCE ARMS, BAN H-BOMB, EUROPEAN SECURITY." The bottom has publishing information in smaller red text saying "print by PUBLICITY PRINTING CO., (T.U.) 464 Duke St., Glasgow, E.I." This poster is anti-bombs, anti-nuclear weapons and anti-arms. It is arguing that the West must talk with Russia to de-escalate the threat of the arms race and nuclear warfare. The poster is also arguing that European Security is threatened by arms and the development of the Hydrogen Bomb. This is a Cold War era poster, most likely created in the 1950s. This is due to the reference to the H-Bomb in which Truman announced the beginning of developing a Hydrogen bomb in 1950. In 1957, Britain detonated its first Hydrogen Bomb, which ignited debates and campaigns regarding nuclear weapons, and started the foundation to campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Russia in this time period, were rapidly developing arms in response to the West and the Cold War. The start of the 1960s saw the building of the Berlin Wall, Russia testing nuclear weapons, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs, and other key moments in Cold war history surrounding the arms race. The poster is in good condition, with slight creases on the top left hand side and is screen printed.
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