He Wanted To See Inside

This rare and dramatic British WWII poster highlights the serious dangers involved in tinkering with ammunition. A skeleton's hands continue to tamper with the parts that led to its demise, atop his coffin. Clouds - or perhaps smoke from an explosion - drift away in the darkened sky, creating a macabre feeling. It's a serious image for a serious issue; workplace injuries on the home front were common and delayed production of artillery, which was in extreme demand for British troops throughout the War. Abram Games (1914-1996) was one of the twentieth century's great graphic designers. His work is now a fascinating record of social history. For over 60 years he produced some of Britain's most memorable images including the 'Blonde Bombshell' ATS poster of 1941. His clients included the United Nations, London Transport, British Airways, Shell, the Financial Times and Guinness. He designed stamps for Britain, Jersey and Israel, book jackets for Penguin books and emblems for the Festival