The Telephonist: Be brief, a war call may be waiting
A photograph of a telephonist at a switchboard, headset on, faces a block of text asking callers to be brief because 'a war call may be waiting'. The implied cost of a long private call is a delayed war message; no consequence is shown, only suggested.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- General Post Office (printed for HMSO by Multi Machine Plates Ltd, London); artist/photographer credit Beaumont
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Science and technology
- 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)
UK government poster (General Post Office), c. 1939-1945. US National Archives, NAID 44267225 (local identifier 44-PF-454).
Text on the object
The Telephonist Be brief - a war call may be waiting GPO BEAUMONT P.R.D. 311 PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY MULTI MACHINE PLATES LTD LONDON E.C.4 51-3804
