When You Write to Them: Exhibition (Charing Cross Underground)
Three helmeted soldiers in shirt sleeves read and tear open letters against a red ground, above a hand holding a pen and the word EXHIBITION. The notice invites the public to a free exhibition on how to write to forces overseas; the ordinary-soldier photograph is the only persuasive device (plain folks), and the text is mainly practical information.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- General Post Office and Army Postal Services, produced by the Ministry of Information; printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Multi Machine Plates Ltd., London
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
General Post Office / Army Postal Services / Ministry of Information, c. 1939-1945. U.S. National Archives, RG 44.
Text on the object
When you write to them All you need to know when you write to the Forces overseas Charing Cross Underground July 27th to August 22nd 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. SUNDAYS INCLUDED Admission Free EXHIBITION PRODUCED FOR THE GENERAL POST OFFICE AND THE ARMY POSTAL SERVICES BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY MULTI MACHINE PLATES LTD. LONDON E.C.4. 51-3843
