Yahoo News Original 'Keep Calm, Carry On' posters sell for more than £9,000 in Newcastle auction
A set of three original "Keep Calm, Carry On" posters have sold for more than £9,000 at auction in Newcastle.
The posters were originally expected to fetch up to £6,200 at Anderson & Garland's Militia Auction today (Thursday, July 4). However, the posters went under the hammer for a total of £9,100 including fees.
The smaller poster sold for £2,210, the medium for £3,250 including fees, and the largest of the three for £3,640, all including fees. The posters were formerly the property of a policeman who was based in Suffolk after WWII ended.
The "Keep Calm, Carry On" poster was one of three motivational designs created by the British government before World War II. The other two posters, "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will bring us Victory" and "Freedom is in Peril. Defend it with all your Might" were widely distributed and seen by many during the early months of the war.
However, "Keep Calm, Carry On" was held in reserve, intended to be used during severe crises which did not immediately occur (such as a German invasion), so was never publicly displayed during the war. In fact, it is thought that many found the first two entries of the series to be patronising or insulting, which was the cause of nearly all of the 2.5 million posters being pulped down for re-use.
Fred Wyrley-Birch, director at Anderson & Garland, said: "The three “Keep Calm” posters, which to the best of our knowledge have never before appeared as a complete set at auction, encapsulate a pivotal moment in British history and stand as an inspiring message from the past. We are so pleased to have been able to sell these for well above their top estimates."
