We are frequently asked ‘Exactly how do you print the maps onto silk?’ – We do not. These are genuine fabric maps, published onto silk over half a century back.
Residence Front Vintage saves silk getaway and evasion maps that pilots and Special Pressures made use of during WW2 and the chilly battle. We re-make them into amazing homewares including padding covers, laptop computer as well as kindle covers and covered notebooks. We also make bespoke items to get and also have a few intact maps that we market ready for framing.
WW2 British silk getaway maps were the development of Clayton Hutton, an eccentric MI9 British Military Policeman who was the brilliant behind so many WW2 escape as well as evasion help which are still being used today.
Hutton created the idea after he persuaded the British Gallery to accumulate around fifty true WW1 getaway tales from different used bookshops in Bloomsbury. He then had them supplied to the sixth form at Rugby Institution as well as asked the pupils to check out the books and also summarise the key elements. The one product that constantly stood apart from the rest was an escape map.
Hutton approached Bartholomew’s, a world popular map making business, and also encouraged them to waive their copyright on maps for the battle effort. Hutton had the maps printed onto pure silk; the suitable material for an escape map as silk is silent, rustle free-and-easy to conceal or sew inside clothing.
The maps were released to the RAF and also Unique Pressures throughout WW2 and past right into the cool battle period of the 1950s and also smuggled into detainee of battle camps; aiding our troops locate their method residence.
All our escape and evasion things are made with real, released maps; a genuine piece of background. Each thing is one-of-a-kind relying on which part of the individual map we make use of.
A lot of our maps are sourced from an ex-Royal Designers soldier. He began his army job as a private and functioned his way up through the ranks to end up being an appointed officer. During the 1960s he was informed to clear out the regimental stores as well as ‘get rid’ of boxes and boxes of escape maps. The maps dated from the 1940s to the mid 1950s– WW2 through to the start of the Cold War. The maps had actually been such a success during WW2 that the Armed forces remained to print and also issue them to aircrews flying in the period after 1945.
Being the clever chap that he was, the Designer ‘got rid’ of the maps by storing them in his loft, where they stayed till 2013 when he contacted Home Front Vintage. Many thanks to him, the story of the maps takes place; retelling our history as well as bearing in mind the past – whilst looking to the future.