Skip to content
115. Keep Calm and episode artwork

May 16, 2020 21 min

115. Keep Calm and

from The Allusionist

Twenty years ago, a 1939 poster printed by the British government with the words ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ turned up in a second-hand bookshop in Northern England. And lo! A decor trend was born: teatowels, T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, condoms, and a zillion riffs on the phrase. Bookshop owner Stuart Manley talks about unearthing the poster that spawned countless imitations; author Owen Hatherley explains why the poster was NOT, in fact, an exemplar of Blitz Spirit and British bulldog courage and whatnot; and psychologist and therapist Jane Gregory considers whether being told to keep calm can keep us calm. Find out more about this episode, the subject matter and the interviewees, at theallusionist.org/keepcalm. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

115. Keep Calm and

0:00 21:20

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of The Allusionist?

This episode is 21 minutes long.

When was this The Allusionist episode published?

This episode was published on May 16, 2020.

Can I download this The Allusionist episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.