Buy Empire

Manchester Art Gallery houses a unique collection of industrial art, collected during the 1930s. Within this collection is a significant group of posters, acquired to illustrate the role of artists in design, including 200 posters commissioned by the British Government's Empire Marketing Board (EMB) between 1926 and 1933. 

Bridgeman is delighted to present these posters for image licensing.

The Empire Marketing Board was formed in May 1926 by the Colonial Secretary Leo Amery to promote inter-Empire trade and to persuade consumers to 'Buy Empire'.  Colonial governments were reluctant to join the EMB, however, and the EMB was ended as a result of government cuts and the introduction of Imperial Preference.

Propaganda, Pride and Prejudice

The EMB's main functions were to research the production, trade and use of goods throughout the British Empire and to promote the idea of 'Buying Empire'.  Today the EMB is regarded as a rare example of peace time government propaganda. As with any cultural material, however, their meaning has changed over time and the poster collection today is subject to quite different interpretations from those originally intended.

See all advertising posters from the Empire Marketing Board

The Empire's Strength

This poster emphasises New Zealand’s role in exporting dairy products. 

Another poster reads "Did you know that New Zealand produces as much butter to-day as during the last war and twice as much cheese: that wool, meat and fruit are also exported in very large quantities."

After the first export of refrigerated meat to Britain in 1882, farmers were able to sell meat overseas. The meat was mainly from South Island sheep. The new railway lines helped transport the meat to ships.