Empire Tea, from the series 'Drink Empire Grown Tea' (colour litho)

See 6320718, 464508, 464507, 464483, 464484, 464482 & 464508. Commissioned by the Empire Marketing Board and printed by Jordison & Co Ltd for HMSO; text: 'Empire Tea from India, Ceylon & East Africa. Every man, woman and child in the United Kingdom drinks on the average 5 cups of tea a day. See that your tea is labelled Guaranteed Empire Grown'; Manchester Art Gallery holds a fascinating collection of artist-designed posters, Commissioned by the British government's Empire Marketing Board between 1926 and 1933. The EMB's main function was to increase sales of Empire-grown and Empire-made goods throughout Great Britain, its Dominions and its Colonies. One aspect of its activities was a poster campaign that was designed to turn Britons into 'Empire-conscious' consumers. Over 200 posters were acquired by Manchester Art Gallery in the 1930s. The posters' strong images illustrate the Empire's people, places and products. However, for a contemporary audience, the posters sometimes express uncomfortable beliefs and raise difficult questions about the legacies of the Empire today.