Poster, 'April 10th, 1968.'

item details

NamePoster, 'April 10th, 1968.'

ProductionDavid Kent; designer; late 1970s; New Zealand
Campaign for Non-Nuclear Futures; commissioner; late 1970s; New Zealand
Wellington Media Collective; printing firm; late 1970s; New Zealand

Classificationposters

Materialspaper, ink

Materials SummaryOffset lithograph on paper

Techniquesoffset lithography

DimensionsOverall: 560mm (height), 432mm (length)

Registration NumberGH014464

Credit lineGift of Robyn Anderson, 2004

Overview

This poster is about the risk of allowing nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels to visit New Zealand ports. It was published by Campaign for Non-Nuclear Futures (active 1976-77) which organised the Campaign Half Million petition against establishing nuclear power in New Zealand.

Dangerous visitors

Anti-nuclear protest in New Zealand was distinctive because of regular port visits by nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels. Though never used for nuclear testing, New Zealand was visited by about 120 American and British nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels between 1960 and 1984.

Imagery

This poster would have had a strong effect on New Zealanders. The sinking of the Wahine passenger ferry in Wellington harbour in 1968 would still have been fresh in people’s minds, and provided a powerful counter-factual context of nuclear disaster.