When I wrote the
last post I had forgotten this postcard which was lurking in my collection.
This was a Second World War British poster by Jan Lewitt and George Him, published in 1943. Note that the spelling was different. They used Shanks' Pony rather then Shanks's Pony.
There is a similar expression in German, "auf Schusters Rappen", which literally means "on the shoemaker's black horse". I have not seen it used in a derogatory way, but it could well be that it was originally meant so, and only acquired its more "poetic" ring over time, when walking began to appeal to people who felt it was a good way to be in touch with nature.
ReplyDeleteThanks Meike. That's even more fascinating - why did shoemakers have horses that were black? Isn't language a wonderful thing to study?
DeleteIt's actually still good advice, too, however it is spelled.
ReplyDeleteYes, Messymimi, a lot of the Wartime advice is now highly appropriate once again as we begin to think more carefully about the use of the planet's resources.
DeleteWhat do the words across the bottom say? Is the poster encouraging people to walk instead of riding in a bus, to save on fuel during the war?
ReplyDeleteI think the words across the bottom were something to do with it being a Ministry of War poster. Yes, Bette, it was as you say, asking folk to leave room on buses for those with longer journeys to save on the number of buses on the road, using fuel, during the war..
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