Catalogue Number
NMLH.2022.261
Object Name
Postcard
Title
War Game by Ray Lowry postcard
Date
1985
Description
Black and white postcard. There is a cartoon in the front of the postcard showing dark clouds, looks like a warzone/a site where there has been an explosion. The image shows a man sitting down at a booth, with a sign saying "BBC" behind him. There are three cameramen with a large camera, which is pointed towards the man at the BBC booth. There is black text at the bottom of the postcard, which appears to be a quote from the BBC man - this reads: "In the light of recent events, the controllers have decided that we can show the controversial War Game film, after all." The reverse of the postcard shows a "Leeds postcards" logo and Leeds postcards address. On the left hand side of the postcard it reads "War Game by Ray Lowry. Peter Watkins' film 'The War Game' was made for TV in the 1960s but never shown on BBC. In the 1980's it is still being shown by Peace groups to powerful effect. For more details of the appeal to raise funds for an updated version, or to enquire about hiring the film, send to CND 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ." The War Game is a 1966 British documentary film that is about a nuclear war and its aftermath. This was written, directed and produced by Peter Watkins for the BBC. It caused controversy amongst the government and the BBC, and was withdrawn before the provisional screening date in 1965. The film eventually premiered at the National Film Theatre in London, on 13 April 1966, where it ran until 3 May. It was then shown abroad at several film festivals, including the Venice one where it won the Special Prize. It also won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1967. The film was eventually televised in Great Britain on 31 July 1985, during the week before the fortieth anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.
There is a Leeds postcards logo in the corner - Leeds Postcards was founded in 1979, with the intention of using postcards âas a political tool and agent for changeâ.
They quickly became well-known, producing some iconic work with activist groups such as the Medical Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (MCANW) and CND branches across the country, and artists including Peter Kennard and Steve Bell. They are still publishing postcards today.
Throughout the 1980s, Leeds Postcards published a number of cards satirising the threat of nuclear war, and celebrating the movement against the bomb.
