Battle of the V1

Artist: Other
Format: UK Double-Crown (20"x 30")
Condition: Very good
Year: 1958

Description

“Battle of the V-1”, is a British war film from 1958. The film, centres on a Polish resistance group held in a Labour Camp on the Baltic Coast. The group uncovers a large production unit in the camp where a V-1 rocket is being manufactured, Hitler’s plan being to destroy London with these weapons. The group successfully liaises with the allies in London who launch a raid on the camp, steal the V-1 and take it back to Britain for testing.

 

The UK Double-Crown poster features an ominous, almost eerie design of the V-1. The imagery of the burning, destroyed city coupled with the menacing use of red and black creates a real impact. Interesting also is the ‘call to arms’ text to the bottom of the design, declaring “Civil defence saved thousands of lives then – more men and women are needed in civil defence today”, this clearly acknowledging contemporary Cold War fears of aerial missile attacks.

 

Double-Crown posters were the second most used poster format in the UK, after the UK Quad. The Quad for “Battle of the V-1” is similarly featured on this site and is included below for comparison, it’s more expansive design and colour palette is immediately noticeable. Double-Crown posters were not only smaller than Quads but often were printed more cheaply with restricted designs & colour ranges, as here. Nonetheless given that the print-runs on Double-Crowns were considerably smaller than that for corresponding Quads, they remain collectable artefacts too.