Catalogue Number
NMLH.2025.37.183
Object Name
Poster
Title
Arms Trade - World Military spending totalled $425,000,000,000 in 1980 - Who Profits?
Place
Paddington Printshop, London; Angola; Mozambique; South Africa
People
Paddington Printshop; Stop the War Against Angola & Mozambique (SWAM)
Date
c.1980
Description
Screenprinted poster, "Arms Trade - World Military spending totalled $425,000,000,000 in 1980 - Who Profits?" in blue at the top left. Below is a photomontage of the globe showing Africa and Europe, a tank with two small white people in suits on top appering to direct it, missile silhouettes over the earth, and bordered photographs of a Black child, and another of Black people possibly in military unifroms with a large gun. Other text reads "Fight South African Aggresion - Stop the War Against Angola & Mozambique". In the top right is a logo with text "SWAM" with a black raised fist in a circle.
This poster was made by Paddington Printshop, a community graphic design and print workshop in West London, co-founded by John Phillips and Pippa Smith. Between 1975-1991, the centre printed over 400 designs for left-wing community organisations. These publicised local political campaigns such as housing rights and food co-ops, to social gatherings including play days, gardening clubs, gigs and festivals. Their do-it-yourself style was part of the proto-punk ethos.
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