Use Spades Not Ships WWII Poster Print by Abram Games (1942)

Product details

A wartime message for gardeners and design enthusiasts

Connect an interest in growing food with British graphic-design history through this reproduction of Abram Games’ Use Spades Not Ships poster (1942). Its memorable slogan makes it a personal choice for a kitchen, study or collection of home-front posters. Choose it as a conversation piece for a gardener or as a historical companion to other wartime advertising prints.

About the poster

The slogan expresses a wartime call to grow food at home, linking domestic production with a reduced need for shipping. That message gives the poster a specific historical purpose beyond its decorative role. The named designer and 1942 date provide a starting point for exploring how British Second World War posters encouraged practical action on the home front.

Bring a grow-your-own connection indoors

Imagine displaying the print near a kitchen table, with warm wooden furniture, a bowl of seasonal produce and a shelf of gardening books nearby. It can introduce a historical connection into an everyday room without requiring the entire space to follow a vintage theme. The recorded blue, brown and black palette provides a starting point for coordinating accessories or companion posters in related tones.

A smaller format can join an established gallery arrangement, while a larger print gives the slogan a more prominent place. Its vertical orientation offers an option for a display containing taller artworks. Pairing it with another Games poster creates a shared designer connection; adding a botanical fruit study links the grow-your-own message with the produce itself.

Paper, printing and finish

This product is a reproduction, not an original 1942 wartime poster. It is produced using giclée printing on 200gsm matte art paper, offering a matte paper surface for your chosen display. Select a print-only version if you would like to use your own frame, or choose a framed option with a black wooden frame and white mount. Consider the available wall space and nearby furniture before choosing your size.

Choose your size

• Small: 11 × 14 in, available as a print only or framed.
• Medium: 12 × 16 in, available as a print only or framed.
• Large: 18 × 24 in, available as a print only or framed.
• Framed options include a black wooden frame and white mount. Select your preferred size and finish above.

Pair it with

Continue the wartime grow-your-own theme with Abram Games’ Grow Your Own Food poster (1942), or explore his post-war design with the Festival of Britain poster (1951). For a kitchen display connecting gardening with its produce, add George Brookshaw’s Gooseberry print (1812).

Explore more wartime posters and Abram Games’ story

Discover complementary historic messages in our vintage propaganda posters collection for a gallery wall exploring home-front design.

Learn more about the designer in Abram Games: The Master of Modern Poster Art.