Poster, 'You are helping by cycling when you can'

This poster was printed in Britain during the Second World War (1939-45) to remind people to conserve fuel resources which were rationed.

It was donated to Te Papa by Wellington businessman Mr Cecil H. Andrews. He collected many such posters during the war and distributed them to his clients for display in their shop windows, such as McKenzies, James Smith’s and Woolworths. This particular poster would have been just as resonant in New Zealand as in Britain, as petrol was rationed here from 1939-46.

The poster shows an ordinary person going about their business, which is often a feature of Second World War posters. Civilians were frequently targeted by government campaigns – to volunteer for service, to give money, to recycle and conserve resources. In the Second World War everyone was expected to play a part, and it would have been hard to escape the direct appeal of colourful posters like this on city streets.