Posters, 'Purchasing Within The Empire Brings Prosperity'

This large poster set was made to advertise the Empire Marketing Board (1926-1933). The Board was created by the Colonial Office in 1926 to stimulate trade between the United Kingdom and the colonies and dominions of the British Empire.

This particular poster was one of a five-part series titled 'Empire Marketing Board' (with a title banner displayed at the top).

Over 800 posters were produced by the Empire Marketing Board. These posters were the British government's first peacetime propaganda campaign since the First World War. They presented the British Empire as a large extended family, where purchasing foods and goods amongst the member nations could help during a period of economic crisis.

Many well-known British and Dominion designers and artists, including E. McKnight Kauffer, Clive Gardiner, Harold Williamson, Charles Pears, Paul and John Nash, and Canadian-born Austin Cooper, were commissioned to produce artwork for the posters. The resulting posters were colourful and painted a world of abundance and vitality. Most of them were displayed in train stations, schools, shops, and factories, primarily in Britain. They were produced as single sheets or as part of large three- and five-part panoramas with title banners to accompany them.