<P> Keep Calm and Carry On was a motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939 in preparation for World War II . The poster was intended to raise the morale of the British public, threatened with widely predicted mass air attacks on major cities . Although 2.45 million copies were printed, and although the Blitz did in fact take place, the poster was hardly ever publicly displayed and was little known until a copy was rediscovered in 2000 at Barter Books, a bookshop in Alnwick . It has since been re-issued by a number of private companies, and has been used as the decorative theme for a range of products . </P> <P> Evocative of Victorian stoicism--the "stiff upper lip", self - discipline, fortitude, and remaining calm in adversity, which popular culture rendered into a British character trait--the poster has become recognised around the world . It was thought that only two original copies survived until a collection of approximately 15 was brought in to the Antiques Roadshow in 2012 by the daughter of an ex-Royal Observer Corps member . </P> <P> The Keep Calm and Carry On poster was designed by the Ministry of Information during the period of 27 June to 6 July 1939 . It was produced as part of a series of three "Home Publicity" posters (the others read "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" and "Freedom Is in Peril / Defend It With All Your Might"). Each poster showed the slogan under a representation of a "Tudor Crown" (a symbol of the state). They were intended to be distributed to strengthen morale in the event of a wartime disaster, such as mass bombing of major cities using high explosives and poison gas, which was widely expected within hours of an outbreak of war . </P> <P> A career civil servant named A.P. Waterfield came up with "Your Courage" as "a rallying war - cry that will bring out the best in everyone of us and put us in an offensive mood at once". </P>

Where did the saying keep calm and carry on originate