They were colourful, creative and conveyed serious messages to the British public. And although many of them were published half a century ago, many of the issues featured in the public information posters of the mid-20th Century remain important today.

Dozens of information posters from the past - now held by the National Archives - feature in a new book, Keep Britain Tidy and Other Posters From The Nanny State. Its author, Hester Vaizey, discussed the selection with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

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Keep Britain Tidy - And Other Posters from the Nanny State, by Hester Vaizey, will be published by Thames and Hudson on 7 April 2014.

Click bottom right for image information.

All images copyright the National Archives. Archive audio courtesy BFI National Archive.

Music by The Champs, The Crew-Cuts, Booker T and the MG's, The Byrds and Steely Dan.

Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 26 March 2014.

Related:

National Archives

BFI - British Film Institute

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