Posters celebrating the effort of Britain and its allies in the Second World War have become familiar images in Western popular culture. But how was the war reported from the perspective of the other side?
20 January 2022
THE CHURCHILL OCTOPUS
c.1941, a Vichy France World War II propaganda poster
£4,000-5,000
Our Out of the Ordinary sale on 15-16 February includes a chromolithograph propaganda poster published in occupied Paris by the Vichy government in 1942.
Signed with a monogram of the artist ‘SPK’, it depicts Winston Churchill as an octopus with its tentacles representing British military intervention in the Middle East and Africa.
The text reads Confiance... Ses Amputations Se Poursuivent Methodiquement (Have Faith – The Systematic Amputations Are Continuing).
The desire was to spotlight the areas of conflict that existed between Vichy French forces and the British and the Free French. The cutting of these tentacles reflects the thwarting of British actions in Norway, Germany, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Mers el Kebir and Dakar by Axis forces.
This well known but rare image is guided at £4,000-5,000.
Our first Jewellery and Luxury sale of the year will feature a collection of Mr. Fish garments and other late 1960s clothing.
13 April 2026
Sworders are delighted to present a significant collection of Gucci items in our upcoming auction, taking place on Wednesday 29 April.
13 April 2026
EA Festival - one of the East of England’s leading ideas and literary festivals - presents Stories of Guinness, a one-day cultural festival, inspired by the history of the Guinness family, at Elveden Hall, Suffolk, on Saturday 13 June. Bringing together a carefully curated programme of talks, music, art and tours, the festival explores the enduring resonance of dynastic history in the modern world.
13 April 2026