About this collection
There are many treasures in the collection of Crédit Commercial de France (now HSBC Continental Europe) held in Paris. Our First World War posters are particularly popular with visitors. Banks played a critical role in raising funds to help the war effort, and to rebuild the country in the aftermath. They issued government bonds at a low fixed-interest rate, which were redeemable after a given period. Eye-catching posters were designed, often by well-known artists, to encourage the public to subscribe. Patriotic and direct, these posters were an important propaganda tool at a time of national crisis. Take this opportunity to explore a selection of the artwork in our care.
