Catalogue Number
NMLH.2023.87.10
Object Name
Poster
Title
War Gains?
Events
World War II
Date
1985
Description
The Poster Collective was a collective formed in 1971 at the Slade School of Art,  a group formed to initially produce posters in response to the miners strike and on the wars in both Vietnam and Ireland. It was formed on the basis of developing a coherent visual style, which addressed the political issues of the time. This included the armed struggles against colonialism in Africa, the struggle of women for equal rights and the continuing struggle against racism. The collective was active in the 70's and 80's, producing posters on a wide range of issues, including for educational purposes. The group was not-for-profit and used a variety of hand-printing techniques to create their posters. Between Future and Past
A set of posters looking at the ideological and economic structures underlying the unequal position of women in society at different junctures in history from feudalism to present. It also shows points at which women have fought to change existing social relations. This is the tenth poster in the series and reads "WAR GAINS?" in yellow text on a black and white background, aong with images of women during wartime and reprints of famous wartime propaganda posters. Smaller text reads: "World War: a settlement of conflict between rulers, the need to gain command over new territory. The domination of other countries; business must expand. Appeals to manhood and heroism served to reassure men sent off to fight (more reassurance came from the war films later- the national cause was justified, the 'natural' role of warrior was fulfilled). Women were directed into factories and offices to support the war efforts (no talk of a 'Woman's Place now.) The dual role of looking after children as
well as working for the war was eased by some state provision of day nurseries and restaurants. After the war, these were closed down, pushing women back into the hime to rear a new generation to replace the war-dead."
