Rations Collection

Salvation Army / Wwi
World War I poster requesting the public to donate food and supplies to the Salvation Army who will distribute to soldiers fighting in France

Sharing Rations - The Troopers Christmas-Box
A British trooper shares his Christmas rations with his horse on the Western Front during WWI. 1916

Rejected by the Inventions Board IX - Heath Robinson
The Pilsener Pump for tapping the enemys beer; another hilariously convoluted contraption to foil the enemy during World War I from William Heath Robinson

Advert for Horlicks ration of malted milk tablets 1916
Restoring energy and vitality Horlicks malted milk compressed tablets, supplied in a air tight tin. 1916

Passport to Pimlico (1949)
A scene from the classic Ealing Comedy

Dig for Victory poster - WWII
World War Two poster encouraging British civilians to dig for victory, featuring somebody doing just that

Save Food Poster / Wwi
Poster depicting a British soldier encouraging those on the home front to save food in response to food shortages due to German U-boat targeting of British merchant ships

Save Food / Wwi Poster
A First World War poster encouraging people to save food, featuring a sailor about to embark for war on a battle ship

Don t Waste Bread Wwi
Poster advising the public to eat less bread, and save two thick slices a day to defeat the U-boats during WWI. Thats a dangerous way to cut bread!

Christmas at the Front - Unpacking the Parcels from Home
A group of British soldiers share the contents of a hamper which has been delivered to them at the Front. A Christmas pudding is held aloft and the scene is of general jollity

Mesopotamia. Clay Tablet. Pictographs drawn. Iraq. Late Preh
Mesopotamia. Clay Tablet. Pictographs drawn. Early writing tablet recording the allocation of beer. Iraq. Late Prehistoric period. 3100-3000BC. British Museum. London. England. United Kingdom

The Lord Mayor of Cardiff (Alderman James Hellyer - {pictured right}) drawing his Points ration book at the City Hall, Cardiff

NATI2A-00181
Apaches receiving beef rations from Indian agents at San Carlos Reservation, Arizona, 1890s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century Frederic Remington illustration

Ration Cards WWII
People queuing for temporary ration cards during World War II

Rations & Ration Book
A ration book with rations for a week, including four rashers of bacon, one egg and a quantity of sugar and fat

A scene from the Lancashire colliery strike
5616080 A scene from the Lancashire colliery strike; (add.info.: Illustration depicting a scene from the Lancashire colliery strike)

Bottle with Union soldier's prison ration of grits
3029045 Bottle with Union soldier's prison ration of grits.; Private Collection; (add.info.: Bottle with Union soldier's prison ration of grits. From Florence, Georgia); © Don Troiani

Half-starved factory children supplementing their meagre rations by stealing food from a pig trough
527858 Half-starved factory children supplementing their meagre rations by stealing food from a pig trough. Many such children would have been supplied by the workhouse

Dinner Time: Men of the RFA, illustration from 'The Western Front', pub. by Country Life Ltd, 1917 (litho)
STC403987 Dinner Time: Men of the RFA, illustration from 'The Western Front', pub. by Country Life Ltd, 1917 (litho) by Bone

Provisions for soldiers and troops on the Eastern Front, from 'Signal' Magazine, Number 4
BAL142506 Provisions for soldiers and troops on the Eastern Front, from 'Signal' Magazine, Number 4, second edition of February 1942 (b/w photo); Private Collection.

German women after second grade meat, 1914. Creator: Bain News Service
German women after second grade meat, 1914. German women in line for meat during the beginning of World War I.

The 70th Bengal Native Infantry drawing rations at the Commissariat Stores, Canton, 1858. Creator: Unknown
The 70th Bengal Native Infantry drawing rations at the Commissariat Stores, Canton, 1858. Indian soldiers in China. The Bengalese drawing their rations make a rather good subject for the picturesque;

Les Soubresauts de la Russie; Au refectoire: les volontaires du bataillon feminin, designe... 1917 Creator: Unknown
Les Soubresauts de la Russie; Au refectoire: les volontaires du bataillon feminin, designe aussi sous le norm de , puisent le gruau a meme la marmite commune; la viande est posee sur la table nue

Life in the trenches in Champagne; Calm: "le pinard", 1917. Creator: Unknown
Life in the trenches in Champagne; Calm: "le pinard", 1917. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" [L'Illustration, Paris, 1924]

La Maniere de Petain; Le commandant en chef dans les cantonnements, 1917. Creator: Unknown
La Maniere de Petain; Le commandant en chef dans les cantonnements, 1917. First World War:.Petain, commander-in-chief of the cantonments

American Prison Life, Blackwell's Island, New York: Dinner-Time, 1876. Creator: Unknown
American Prison Life, Blackwell's Island, New York: Dinner-Time, 1876....the inmates, who are here treated with compulsory hospitality

Farm Security Administration (FSA) distributing station, Bakersfield, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The commodities on the counter represent two weeks allotment for four people. Photograph made in Farm Security Administration (FSA)

Bully beef can opener, 1914-1918. Creator: Unknown
Bully beef or corned beef is meat made from minced salt-cured brisket of beef in gelatin. The word bully possibly comes from the French " bouilli" (boiled)

The Distribution of Coals (w/c & bodycolour on paper)
NGW387986 The Distribution of Coals (w/c & bodycolour on paper) by Foster, Myles Birket (1825-99); 17.2x24.5 cm; National Museum Wales; National Museums & Galleries of Wales

Oxo in the trenches, 1917 (litho)
700935 Oxo in the trenches, 1917 (litho) by Dadd, Frank (1851-1929) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Advert for Oxo published in The Sphere magazine)

Outbreak of WWII men of Royal Artillery eating 1939
Men of a battalion of the Royal Artillery have a meal beside of the guns, during training. Date: 1939

Menu, Simpsons Grand Divan Tavern, Strand, London
Wartime menu (Bill of Fare), Simpsons Grand Divan Tavern, Strand, London -- including a Ministry of Food Control Order relating to the need for rationing. (1 of 2) 1917

The shape of things to come. *** Location unknown.*** Three ATS (The Auxiliary Territorial Service) ladies take a look into the future

The ham sandwiches without which no railway refreshment room had seemed complete were one of the first casualties of rationing in World War Two

After waiting hours to buy nylons that went on sale post WW2 this young woman couldn t wait to get home before putting them on

Children - Food - 1940s Young Boy standing outside a shop, with a loaf of bread and a toffy carrot instead of a toffy apple which are on ration

Theres a shortage of stockings, and a shortage of coupons among the women of Tyneside, but they have found a way of beating the Board of Trade by getting stockings coupon free

WWII - the man who eats grass, Mr J. R. B. Branson
Mr J. R. B. Branson, who advocated a diet of grass to counter food shortages during the Second World War. The Bystander magazine ran a double page spread on him

HMS Alexandra, rum rations, Royal Navy, probably circa 1900 (hand coloured photo)

Wartime Oxo Advertisement
A wartime advertisement promoting Oxo, the photograph shows two children happily drinking the product. Mother knows the value of Oxo in helping out the rations. Date: circa 1940s

WW2, Ration Book Christmas Card
A WW2 Christmas greetings card designed as a ration book, offering best wishes free of charge, and unlimited rations inside. Date: 1940

Large group of German soldiers with their rations, WW1 Date: 1914-1918

Advert for Celanese, a chemical and speciality materials company whose products included acetate yarn and artificial silk. Date: 1943

Fashion item, Your Most Important Coupons, WW2 rationing Date: 1943

A unit of General Franco's Nationalist troops lined up to receive their rations, Alcorcon, near Madrid, 1936. At this point in the Spanish Civil War

The Last of the Provisions, illustration from The Romance of Canada (colour litho)
IL283079 The Last of the Provisions, illustration from The Romance of Canada (colour litho) by Stott, W.R.S. (1878-1939); Private Collection

Will you help the women of France? Save wheat, 1918 (poster)
3740480 Will you help the women of France? Save wheat, 1918 (poster) by Penfield, Edward (1866-1925); Private Collection; (add.info.: They Are Struggling against Starvation)

The Horrors of the War, feeding Starving Refugees from Santiago at Caney (litho)
1063611 The Horrors of the War, feeding Starving Refugees from Santiago at Caney (litho) by Paget, Henry Marriott (1856-1936) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Horrors of the War)

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Rations: A Lifeline in Times of Need" During times of war and hardship, rations became a symbol of hope and survival. Sharing Rations - The Troopers Christmas-Box was an act of camaraderie that brought soldiers together during the festive season, reminding them that they were not alone in their struggles. Inventions often push boundaries, but Rejected by the Inventions Board IX - Heath Robinson took creativity to another level. This whimsical contraption showcased the ingenuity behind ration distribution during World War I, proving that even amidst chaos, innovation could thrive. The Salvation Army played a crucial role in providing rations to soldiers on the frontlines during WWI. Their unwavering dedication ensured that troops received much-needed sustenance and comfort in dire circumstances. Passport to Pimlico (1949) depicted a post-war era where rationing still prevailed. It highlighted how limited resources affected communities and emphasized the importance of responsible consumption for collective well-being. The Dig for Victory poster from WWII urged citizens to grow their own food as part of the war effort. It served as a reminder that every individual's contribution mattered when it came to securing essential rations for themselves and others. Save Food posters from WWI echoed this sentiment by encouraging people to minimize waste and make conscious choices about food consumption. These powerful visuals reminded society about the value of each morsel during times when scarcity loomed large. "Don't Waste Bread" became more than just words on a poster during WWI; it evolved into a mantra etched into people's minds as they strived to make every crumb count amidst shortages caused by conflict. Advertisements like Horlicks' 1916 malted milk tablets showcased innovative ways companies contributed towards ration supplies. These compact yet nutritious tablets provided sustenance while being easily transportable – an ideal solution for soldiers enduring harsh conditions far away from home. Even centuries ago, rations played a vital role in sustaining communities.