Ration Collection

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

Ration Book July 1942
A Ministry of Food ration book issued in July 1942, to be returned if lost to the Greenwich food office

Ww2 Clothing Coupons
Two CLOTHING BOOKS containing coupons without which you couldn t buy clothes : note the date - two years after the end of the war !

Advert for Dolcis shoes, shopping with five coupons 1941
With five wartime coupons you could buy one pair of shoes from Dolcis. Casual shoes with contrasting coloures with a crepe sole and side lace. Casual shoes with 3 eyelette tie at front in suede

Desclieux / Coffee Plant
Captain Gabriel Mathieu Desclieux, a French Navy Officer, uses his water ration to save a single coffee plant which instigated the entire Martinique Coffee Industry

Your sugar ration is 2 lbs. per month. Poster showing sacks of sugar, comparing Americas voluntary ration to the compulsory rations of 2 pounds in England, just over a pound in France

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

Household work, late 19th cent - early 20th cent. Creator: I Popov
Household work, late 19th cent - early 20th cent. The album "Peoples of Siberia" contains twenty-seven photographs depicting Yakuts and Buryats, everyday life, festivals, meetings, housing

Butcher cutting off Meat during the second World War II where food was rationed. 29th November 1939

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

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

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

WW2 Birthday Card, Queue Of Bees
An illustrated WW2 birthday greetings card, Even if a queue were a mile long, I'd join it to wish you a happy birthday

RMS Queen Mary, lifeboat emergency ration tin
RMS QUEEN MARY: Lifeboat emergency ration tin, identical to Queen Mary ration tins sold previously. 7ins. 2ins

WW2 Scouts And Guides
This illustration portrays a British WW2 boy scout and girl guide, these young people helped Britain in the war effort performing roles including hospital assistance, making ration bags

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

Way to Increase your Greengage Jam Ration
Owing to the short supply of sugar, it was necessary to cut down the amount used in the jam production. Illustrated by William Heath Robinson showing inside a jam factory where every part of

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

David H. Young examining Cotton Stocking, Washington DC, USA, 1941 (b/w photo)
5974361 David H. Young examining Cotton Stocking, Washington DC, USA, 1941 (b/w photo) by Harris & Ewing (1905-45); Private Collection; (add.info.: David H)

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

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

Decoration and Illumination of the Bastille for the Festival of the Federation on 14 July 1790, 1790. Found in the Collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - No Basic, we should worry
The Caption is No Basic? We should worry! Basic refers to the basic petrol ration. Petrol was rationed from September 1939 and contiinued until 1950. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: circa 1944

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Oh, I do like a bit of butter
The ironic Caption is Oh! I do like a bit of butter on my bread. The weekly butter ration per person was 2 oz - 56 grams. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: circa 1944

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Happy Birthday
The ration book is clearly drawn, and cancelled coupons can be glimpsed. Petrol was the first to be rationed after the war began and eventually practically all commodities were

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Swell
Clothes wee rationed from June 1941 wth a ration book supposedly sufficient for one new outfit a year. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: 1945

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Food Flash
The caption on the postcard is Food Flash. The girls are talking about the latest rationing news. In 1942 even sweets were rationed. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: 1944

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

Cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather in the style of Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Showing British soldiers making sandbags, bringing in ration supplies and ready to fight in the trenches. Date: 1916

Laying up your car in wartime, 1942
Laying up your car? Some practical hints and tips, article by Alan Hess in Britannia & Eve, May 1942. The basic petrol ration was withdrawn at this time, leading many motorists to store their cars

Women queuing for ration books, WW2
Women queuing outside a Food Office for ration books at the beginning of the Second World War. 1939

Inside of ration book for motor spirit, September 1939
Coupons for petrol found inside a ration book issued by Surrey County Council, 5 September 1939. Petrol rations were based on the horsepower of a vehicle

Motor spirit ration book front cover, September 1939
Front cover of a ration book for motor spirit, issued by Surrey County Council on 5 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of war

Knitted womens cardigans 1940
Page from a magazine showing two models wearing knitted cardigans. With the onset of World War Two and the introduction of rationing, many chose to knit their own clothes as a cheaper alternative

Knitted swim wear 1940
Page from a magazine showing a model wearing a knitted bikini. Date: 1940

Will you Help the Women of France? World War One poster (litho)
DHS212229 Will you Help the Women of France? World War One poster (litho) by Penfield, Edward (1866-1925); Dallas Historical Society, Texas, USA; eDallas Historical Society; American, out of copyright

American Housewife With a Ration Booklet, 1943 (screen print)
2622370 American Housewife With a Ration Booklet, 1943 (screen print) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Life at the camp behind the front lines, the distribution of the rancio, high in the mountains (colour litho)
2777522 Life at the camp behind the front lines, the distribution of the rancio, high in the mountains (colour litho) by Beltrame

Grand Diner Parisien, menu displayed during the Siege of Paris
XIR248200 Grand Diner Parisien, menu displayed during the Siege of Paris, 1870-71 (engraving) (b/w photo) by Gauchard, Felix Jean (1825-72); Musee de la Ville de Paris, Musee Carnavalet, Paris

Tea for the workers, WW2 (b / w photo)
3642364 Tea for the workers, WW2 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Tea for the workers, WW2)

Tea for the workers, WW2 (b / w photo)
3642361 Tea for the workers, WW2 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Tea for the workers, WW2)

The Coal Line, 1917 (pencil on paper)
3087841 The Coal Line, 1917 (pencil on paper) by Armington, Frank Milton (1876-1941); Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Canada; eCanadian War Museum; Canadian, out of copyright

Individual Container for Indians Daily Portion of Food, c. 1940

Queues in Hanover Street Post Office, Liverpool, for petrol coupons. 29th November 1973

Littlewoods store in Russia. Shoppers are limited to two garments each to deter black marketeers. 15th January 1992

Woolly step-ins & dressy jumper 1940 Woolly step-ins & dressy jumper 1940
Womens clothing in wool with stitch pattern. Date: 1940

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"Surviving on limited resources: A glimpse into the world of rationing during WW2" During World War II, clothing coupons became a valuable currency as people had to carefully manage their wardrobes. Advertisements for Horlicks malted milk tablets in 1916 highlighted the importance of nutrition even during times of rationing. In July 1942, families received their ration books, which determined how much food they could purchase each week. Dolcis shoes advertised that shoppers could buy their products with just five precious coupons in 1941. Sugar was also strictly controlled, and individuals were allowed only two pounds per month. Ration cards played a crucial role in ensuring fair distribution and preventing hoarding during these challenging times. The scarcity extended beyond food and sugar; coffee was also heavily regulated. Desclieux Coffee Plant's advertisement showcased the struggle to obtain this beloved beverage amidst wartime restrictions. Knitting patterns from 1941 encouraged creativity by providing instructions for making garments using limited materials. This resourcefulness helped stretch available supplies while maintaining a sense of style. Even festive occasions like Christmas and birthdays were affected by rationing. WW2-themed greeting cards depicted celebrations with reminders of clothes being scarce or long queues for essential items like beeswax candles. Rationing became an integral part of daily life during WWII, forcing individuals to adapt and make do with what little they had. It serves as a reminder of resilience and unity in times of hardship.