John Bull is Pulling in his Belt! Examples of Food Restriction in Great Britain
A pictogram sheet compares 'pre-war' and 'now' quantities of sugar confectionery, eggs, lemons, wine, whisky, cream, grapefruit and bananas, with several 'now' panels marked 'NONE'. The tell is that figures are given for selected items with no dates, no rationing basis and no items that rose, so the picture shows only the restrictions chosen. It is an information sheet on rationing.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Printed in England by Chromoworks Ltd., London (no sponsor named; code G.P.G./A.M./3)
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Foreign public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Source
- Unidentified Source blurred: contractors, cutouts, buried disclosure
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision (UK sheet, c. 1939-1945)
Printed by Chromoworks Ltd., London. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-348a.
Text on the object
John Bull is pulling in his belt! examples of food restriction in GREAT BRITAIN PRE-WAR | NOW SUGAR consumption in sugar confectionery EGGS LEMONS Etc. imports 1,100,000 CWTS. NONE WINE imports WHISKY production CREAM production 33,000 TONS NONE GRAPEFRUIT imports 1,300,000 CWTS. NONE BANANAS imports 22,000,000 BUNCHES NONE G.P.G./A.M./3. [stamp:] INCLOSURE 9 TO REPORT No. 52225 MILITARY ATTACHE, LONDON. [imprint:] PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY CHROMOWORKS LTD., LONDON 51-2968
