Poster; Shelterers' bedding, 1941

This public information poster was issued by London Transport during the Second World War. Copies would have appeared in the deep-level Underground stations that were used as air-raid shelters during the Blitz. Night after night, an estimated 175,000 Londoners took to the Underground. Clearly defined rules and regulations had to be established to maximise safety, comfort and decorum. The rather mundane message of this poster, prohibiting shelterers from shaking their bedding, reveals the everyday reality of sheltering during the war.