Rare ‘Keep Calm’ original poster up for auction at Olympia art fair

Updated on: Jun 28, 2016, 18:13:57 IST

AFP | By HT Correspondent, New Delhi

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‘Keep Calm’ poster has become an internationally recognised image, often with the message changed, for example to ‘Keep Calm and Drink Tea.’

The original copy of the famous ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ posters, that we now see everywhere, is set to be auctioned at the annual Art & Antiques Fair in Olympia, which will run from June 27 to July 3.

The original copy of the famous ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ posters, that we now see everywhere, is set to be auctioned at the annual Art & Antiques Fair in Olympia, which will run from June 27 to July 3.

Given the decision of the UK to leave the European Union, the sale of an original ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ during the Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia has particular relevance today. Desite the 1939 wartime slogan being a popular motif for mugs, tee-shirts and fridge magnets, originals are very rare to come by, most having been reduced to pulp for recycling during a time when raw materials were scarce.

The original Keep Calm poster. (Art & Antiques Fair)

Keep Calm and bid

The surviving poster, measuring 75 x 51 cm (30 x 20 inches), was discovered 16 years ago in a box owned by the manager of Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. It will go on sale for a starting price of £21,250 (just over $28,000) at the Manning Fine Art stand during the Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia.

The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia

The UK’s largest arts and antiques fair will be held at London’s Kensington Olympia Exhibition Centre. 2016 marks the event’s 44th birthday, which welcomes over 30,000 visitors each year. Items dating from antiquity to the present day are showcased by over 160 specialist dealers from around the world.

This year, as well as the 1939 poster, highlights include the Sculptural Objects Functional Art and Design Fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design, the HALI showcase of textile designers, and a new feature promoting emerging galleries and dealers who have been running for seven years or less.

The fair’s sister event, the Winter Arts and Antiques Fair, Olympia, takes place October 31-November 6, 2016.

Find out more about the event at: www.olympia-art-antiques.com.

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