№
Year
Artist/Designer
Title
advertisement at the time was ‘Your Britain: Fight for it Now’ [№ 002] by Abram Games, illustrating wartorn scenes rejuvenated by futuristic redevelopments; like Finsbury Health Centre. This series was seen as 12 ‘Obituary: aggressively socialist by Winston Churchill,12 Abraham Games’, The Independent, closer to Labour propaganda than Government 1996 <http://www. messaging. independent.co.uk/ news/people/obituaryabraham-games-1311967. html> [accessed 28 March 2020].
From the outset of the General Election being called and in the strategizing of their position they set the tone of the debate as to the positive re-imagination of a society, rebuilt amid War, and within the media that the party actively commissioned the message was simple, create a better and ‘new’ society. That can be seen clearly in John Armstrong’s ‘AND NOW- WIN THE PEACE’. [№ 005] A looming ‘V’ for Victory which had become synonymous with the war effort, reimagined as a symbol for peace and to a heralding of a new age. To further solidify this idea of renewal and rebuilding, the ‘V’ is to be found sitting amongst a picturesque scene of homes, one can assume a newly built estate, as we move out to the foreground a silhouette of modern flats, emblematic of Labours manifesto promise to build modern and new housing.13 The serene 13 ‘1945 Labour Party nature of the poster is fascinating if you then Manifesto’ <https:// web.archive.org/ align this with the copy ‘and now – the piece’ web/20130315015558/ http://www.labourthere is a real effort to encourage a new start, party.org.uk/ manifestos/1945/1945it speaks a language of new beginnings, ‘peace’ labour-manifesto. shtml> [accessed 23 and harmony, and further reiterates the ideas March 2020]. that were presented by the government within Abram Games’ work. Alongside Armstrong’s poster, there were a further 14 designed by Daily Mirror Cartoonist and Labour supporter Philip Zec, these pieces further went to encourage the notion of renewal and aspiration. Zec’s
14
And Now - Win the Peace