Shortage Collection

David Lloyd George visiting Newport during WW1
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (1863-1945), British Liberal Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922. Seen here as Minister of Munitions, visiting Newport, Wales

Apres la Guerre No. 3 - WWI postcard by George Ranstead
Humorous postcard drawn by amateur soldier artist of the Great War, George Ranstead, who, in a series of illustrations suggesting what life might be like at the end of the war

Blouse made from a silk escape map, 1940s. Creator: Unknown
Blouse made from a silk escape map, 1940s. During World War II many materials were unavailable to the public because of government rationing

Gas storage tanks. Supporting structures of three gas storage tanks and two electricity pylons and power lines silhouetted against a setting sun

Advert for the Ministry of Food 1940
The weeks food facts No. 6. If you eat more than you need, you are wasting food as surely as if you had thrown it away. So eat what you need, but no more. Buy wisely and cater strictly

Wartime cuisine - fish and chips
Wartime rashioning during the Second World War. A plate of steak and veg is a dream, but at least there is still fish and chips to keep the spirits up and the bellies full! Date: circa early 1940s

OIL CRISIS, 1979. Cars lined up for gas at a service station in Maryland at the time of the oil crisis, 15 June 1979. Photographed by Warren K. Leffler

The Nimrod Antarctic Expedition at the furthest point South
Photograph showing Lt. Adams, Frank Wild and Lt. Ernest Shackleton (left to right) standing beside a British flag at the furthest point South that they reached, 9th January 1909

Fuel winter crisis: Heating pumped from the earth and water
Diagram illustrating how heat in the earth and water can provide heating for homes and factories. City Electrical Engineer of Norwich

McDonnell Douglas F-4J UK Phantom ZE353
Royal Air Force - McDonnell Douglas F-4J(UK) Phantom ZE353, of No.74 Squadron, at RAF Wattisham, Suffolk. (a.k.a. Phantom F.3)

Drought at Dorking, Surrey. December 1934

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

A dried-out part of Lake Koronia, Greece, September 19, 2019. Picture taken September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

A water level indicator stands next to a near-empty creek near the town of Uralla in rural Australia September 24, 2019. Picture taken September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Barrett

A boat ramp leads to the drought-affected Split Rock Dam near Tamworth in rural Australia September 23, 2019. Picture taken September 23, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Barrett

WW2 Birthday Card, Rationed Clothes
An illustrated WW2 birthday greetings card, clothes may be rationed - but let me tell you, there's no shortage of birthday wishes

Cartoon, Scenes during shortage of fats, Boy Scouts do good service gathering buttercups in Richmond Park Date: 1919

Hungarian public information card - grow oil seed for soap
Hungarian patriotic public information postcard - There will be no shortage of soap if we produce oilseeds: rapeseed, castor oil, sunflower oil. Date: circa late 1950s

How Housing Shortage is Being Met 1920
At the end of First World War One almost 80% of Britains rented homes from private landlords. David Lloyd George was concerned by the standards of the housing

Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Los combatientes necesitan prendas de abrigo (Fighters need warm clothes). Poster ob the International Red Help. SPAIN. Salamanca. Archivo Historico Nacional

1979 fuel shortage
A Texaco petrol station runs out of petrol during a national petrol shortage brought about by a price rise by OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

Lord Beaverbrook's appeal for aluminium 1940
Lord Beaverbrook the Minister for Aircraft Production appealed for objects wholly or partly made of aluminium for the manufacture of aeroplanes

Lord Beaverbrook the Minister for Aircraft Production appealed for objects wholly or partly made of aluminium for the manufacture of aeroplanes

Rational Gadgets For Your Coupons by William Heath Robinson
Customers are put on scales to determine how much butter they are entitled to, the heavier the person is, the more butter they are given. Date: 1940

German family united in their disgust at the taste of Kriegskartoffelbrot (bread made from potatoes), World War I
6000284 German family united in their disgust at the taste of Kriegskartoffelbrot (bread made from potatoes), World War I, 1915 (colour litho) by Damblans

Album of the Siege of Paris, Municipal canteen Boulevard St. Michel (pen & brown ink wash & pencil on paper)
XIR414924 Album of the Siege of Paris, Municipal canteen Boulevard St. Michel (pen & brown ink wash & pencil on paper) 88; cantine municipale Boulevard Saint-Michel; Saint; St; b/w photo; black

Rat Seller during the Siege of Paris, 1870 (oil on canvas)
XIR212795 Rat Seller during the Siege of Paris, 1870 (oil on canvas) by Chaillou, Narcisse (b.1837); Musee de la Ville de Paris, Musee Carnavalet, Paris

Album of the Siege of Paris, Elephants of the garden (pen & brown ink wash & pencil on paper)
XIR414931 Album of the Siege of Paris, Elephants of the garden (pen & brown ink wash & pencil on paper) by Dore, Gustave (1832-83); 16.9x23.1 cm; Musee de la Ville de Paris, Musee Carnavalet, Paris

Cake and digestion (colour litho)
7150904 Cake and digestion (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Comic postcard on a food related theme. Early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Le repeuplement de nos chasses (engraving)
7199941 Le repeuplement de nos chasses (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Le repeuplement de nos chasses)

Butcher (colour litho)
7150885 Butcher (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Butcher. Comic postcard on a food related theme. Early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Album of the Siege of Paris, the soup of the Poissonniere barracks (pen & brown ink wash & pencil on paper)
XIR414926 Album of the Siege of Paris, the soup of the Poissonniere barracks (pen & brown ink wash & pencil on paper) by Dore, Gustave (1832-83); 16.9x23.1 cm; Musee de la Ville de Paris

Potato writing (colour litho)
7151160 Potato writing (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Comic postcard on a food related theme. Early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Food shortages in Germany: women rioting at a sale of potatoes in Berlin, World War I, 1915 (colour litho)
6000296 Food shortages in Germany: women rioting at a sale of potatoes in Berlin, World War I, 1915 (colour litho) by Bombled

Reading-Room of Merchants Association in New York Life Building, Leonard Street and Broadway (b / w photo)
5215495 Reading-Room of Merchants Association in New York Life Building, Leonard Street and Broadway (b/w photo) by American Photographer

Porter filling water containers, India, c. 1880 s
Porters filling water containers, India, c.1880 s

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Coupon shortage and making do
The long Caption gives the little girls excuse for having patches. The Home Front War Effort was helped along by cryptic slogans such as Make do and Mend and Making do

The Sugar Line, 1917 (pencil on paper)
3087839 The Sugar Line, 1917 (pencil on paper) by Armington, Frank Milton (1876-1941); Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Canada; eCanadian War Museum; Canadian, out of copyright

The Butter Line, 1917 (pencil on paper)
3087838 The Butter Line, 1917 (pencil on paper) by Armington, Frank Milton (1876-1941); Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Canada; eCanadian War Museum; Canadian, out of copyright

The Bystander - keeps pace with the times
What we may soon see if the present shortage of paper grows even more insistent. Date: 1917

Prospectors gather round a woman in a gold camp (colour litho)
PNP245892 Prospectors gather round a woman in a gold camp (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Material shortage during First World War
Material shortage during the First World War - a man with rope, string and rolls of paper. Date: 1914-1918

Food queue during a shortage, London, WW1
Food queue outside a butchers shop in London during a shortage towards the end of the First World War. 1918

Margarine factory fighting food shortage, WW1
Margarine factory fighting a food shortage due to German submarine action during the First World War. 1914-1918

Queues at Smithfield Meat Market, London, WW1
Food shortage queues at Smithfield Meat Market, London, 1918, towards the end of the First World War. 1918

Blackout, meal by candlelight, 1949
Once again the victims of an unofficial strike: the long-suffering public. Recalling the inconveniences of the long wartime blackout

The Raffle (Raffling for the Goose), 1837 (oil on mahogany)
3493186 The Raffle (Raffling for the Goose), 1837 (oil on mahogany) by Mount, William Sidney (1807-68); 43.2x58.7 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA; (add.info.: An impromptu lottery)

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During times of shortage, the world has witnessed both struggles and innovative solutions. In 1914, as World War I raged on, David Lloyd George's visit to Newport highlighted the impact of scarcity on local communities. The postcard "Apres la Guerre No. 3" by George Ranstead depicted a somber aftermath where shortages were evident in every corner. As wars demanded resources, gas storage tanks became crucial targets for both sides. The Ministry of Food's advert from 1940 emphasized the importance of rationing during wartime, urging citizens to make do with limited supplies. Fish and chips emerged as a popular meal during this era when food options were scarce but still managed to bring comfort amidst chaos. The oil crisis in 1979 caused long queues at service stations in Maryland captured by Warren K. Leffler's photograph. As people anxiously waited for fuel, it was clear that energy shortages affected daily life profoundly. Similarly, the Nimrod Antarctic Expedition faced immense challenges due to scarcity while venturing towards the furthest point South. In times of winter crisis, alternative methods like extracting heating from earth and water offered respite from traditional fuel sources that were running low or inaccessible. During World War II, rationed clothes became a norm as resources were redirected towards military efforts instead of fashion production. Cartoons depicting scenes during fat shortages showcased how humor helped alleviate some tension surrounding scarcities experienced by different societies throughout history. A Hungarian public information card encouraged citizens to grow oil seeds for soap production amid supply constraints. Lastly, examining how housing shortage was met in 1920 sheds light on society's resilience even during challenging times; creative solutions arose out of necessity when resources were limited. Throughout history, various forms of scarcity have tested humanity's ability to adapt and find alternatives amidst adversity.