Chances are good that you have seen these words emblazoned on everything from T-shirts, coasters, jewelry, tote bags and most notably, posters.  Sometimes the message even changes a bit to say, “Keep Calm and Drink Tea”, or “Keep Calm and Crochet On” or even outright parodies such as “Freak out and Throw Stuff”.  It leaves us wondering…where did this all come from? 

Keep Calm and Carry On- The Origin

Although the message has become mainstream, many do not know the origins of the design and phrase.  The original Keep Calm and Carry On poster was produced by the British Government in 1939 during the inception of World War II.  It was meant to raise the morale of the British people who were facing an impending invasion, although it was actually never distributed on a wide scale.

Keep Calm

About 10 years ago, in 2000, the design was rediscovered when a copy of the original poster surfaced in a second-hand bookshop in the UK. To date, there are only 2 known surviving examples of the original 1939 poster.  The owners of the bookshop printed their own version of the image at the request of their customers, and it soon became discovered by manufacturers and designers all over the world. The original designer of the poster is not known, and the work is now in the public domain.