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Two original British World War II information security posters printed for His Majesty’s Stationery Office, each 10 x 15. The first, printed by Stafford & Co., Ltd., of Netherfield, Nottingham, shows a young sailor seated beside an admiring blonde woman, above the slogan “Tell NOBODY—not even HER” and the red tagline “Careless Talk Costs Lives.” The reverse is stamped “British Information Services, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City.” The second, printed by Greycaine Ltd. of Watford and London, is a bold typographic design headed “You know more than other people,” and reads, in full: “You are in a position of trust. Don’t let the fighting forces down. A few careless words may give something away that will help the enemy and cost us lives. Above all be careful what you say to strangers and in public.” The lower borders carry the printers’ imprints and the codes “51-477” and “T 51-6502,” respectively. Each poster is housed in a clear protective sleeve. In overall fine condition, with slight edgewear.
Britain’s Ministry of Information launched its ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’ campaign in 1940, warning the public that idle conversation about troop movements, shipping, and war production could reach enemy agents. Posters aimed at servicemen and war workers stressed personal responsibility for keeping secrets, often playing on the risk of confiding in loved ones or strangers. The British Information Services stamp on the first poster ties it to Britain’s official information office in the United States, which operated from Rockefeller Center in New York and distributed British wartime publications and posters to American audiences.
