Souvenir in Commoration of the Feed the Guns Campaign in Trafalgar Square

Souvenir paper table napkin commemorating the Feed the Guns Campaign that took place in Trafalgar Square, October 1918. The napkin is illustrated with a woodcut of a gun carriage flanked by two soldiers with raised guns. Below are printed two columns one headed 'London's war saving Big Push' describes the event that transformed Trafalgar Square into a 'life-like' reproduction of a ruined village on the Western battle field with battered buildings and trenches. Here visitors could 'feed the guns' with war bonds and certificates. The second column headed 'Famous Tank and Guns as Prizes' provides general information about the national competition to sell war bonds & certificates noting the famous tank Egbert would be awarded as a prize to the city or town which raises the largest amount per head of population through the selling of National War Bonds and War Savings Certificates between October 1918 and June 1919. The text and images are surrounded by a blue floral border.

Souvenir napkins were printed for every large, popular public event, ceremony or procession that occured in London from the late 19th to mid 20th century. The squares were imported into London from Japan pre-printed with a decorative border in up to 5 colours and a blank central area. Burgess was one of the main printer of such napkins that would be sold for one penny (1d) by street hawkers moving amongst the huge crowds that attended such popular events. As well as providing practical information such as a programme and timetable of the day's events these napkins were also intended to be taken home and kept as a souvenir. Many were framed and used as decoration in working class homes.