War art in The National Archives (United Kingdom)

Hundreds of original wartime art works are going online following a partnership between The National Archives and Wikimedia UK. Photographed with a digitisation grant from Wikimedia UK, the collection is now freely available on Wikimedia Commons and includes oil paintings, drawings, posters, caricatures and portraits produced as propaganda for the Ministry of Information during the Second World War. There are currently over 350 pieces available to view online, but there are plans to digitise the entire collection of almost 2,000 art works. The collection includes portraits of Allied commanders, members of the Royal Family and leading figures such as Stalin, Churchill and Eisenhower. Also showcased are some of the original works behind famous campaigns such as 'Dig for Victory' and 'Careless talk costs lives', as well as works by artists such as Terence Cuneo and Laura Knight. The collection also includes unpublished and draft works, many with pencilled comments by the artists or Ministry officials clearly visible