Bones Make Explosives
Halfsheet English WW II propaganda poster, military Spitfire, World War II–era British home-front propaganda poster urging civilians to save and donate animal bones for the war effort.
Visual Layout & Imagery
The background is a bright sky blue, with subtle cloud streaks.
At the top, large bold white text reads: “BONES”.
Underneath, the word “MAKE” appears vertically in bright red.
Between the words, there is an illustration of a single white bone, dramatically lit with radiating lines pointing downward.
These lines lead the viewer’s eye to a diving British fighter aircraft—a Spitfire—firing its guns. The plane is rendered in a realistic photomontage style, contrasting with the more graphic text above.
Main Message
Centered prominently near the bottom:
“EXPLOSIVES”
(again in large bold white letters)
Below that, smaller text emphasizes what bones were used for:
“LUBRICATING OIL • GLUE • FERTILISER • ANIMAL FEED • ETC.”
At the bottom, in black capital letters:
“PUT OUT ALL BONES FOR SALVAGE”
Purpose & Meaning
During WWII, Britain faced major shortages of industrial materials. Animal bones provided:
Glycerin for explosives
Glue for aircraft and equipment
Fertilizer for food production
Fat/oil derivatives for machinery lubrication
The poster uses the striking connection between household waste and front-line firepower to motivate civilians: saving scraps at home helped supply munitions and keep aircraft flying.
Style
Typical of 1940s Ministry of Information design:
Simple but powerful color scheme
Direct typography
Photomontage mixed with illustration
Strong diagonal movement to create urgency
Visual Layout & Imagery
The background is a bright sky blue, with subtle cloud streaks.
At the top, large bold white text reads: “BONES”.
Underneath, the word “MAKE” appears vertically in bright red.
Between the words, there is an illustration of a single white bone, dramatically lit with radiating lines pointing downward.
These lines lead the viewer’s eye to a diving British fighter aircraft—a Spitfire—firing its guns. The plane is rendered in a realistic photomontage style, contrasting with the more graphic text above.
Main Message
Centered prominently near the bottom:
“EXPLOSIVES”
(again in large bold white letters)
Below that, smaller text emphasizes what bones were used for:
“LUBRICATING OIL • GLUE • FERTILISER • ANIMAL FEED • ETC.”
At the bottom, in black capital letters:
“PUT OUT ALL BONES FOR SALVAGE”
Purpose & Meaning
During WWII, Britain faced major shortages of industrial materials. Animal bones provided:
Glycerin for explosives
Glue for aircraft and equipment
Fertilizer for food production
Fat/oil derivatives for machinery lubrication
The poster uses the striking connection between household waste and front-line firepower to motivate civilians: saving scraps at home helped supply munitions and keep aircraft flying.
Style
Typical of 1940s Ministry of Information design:
Simple but powerful color scheme
Direct typography
Photomontage mixed with illustration
Strong diagonal movement to create urgency
After
Mounted
Disclaimer
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