"Between March 1942 and November 1946, more than 200 Ministry of Food short ‘Food Flash’ films were shown in British cinemas, each one with an estimated audience of 20 million." —Ministry of Food blog
This one particular Food Flash, 'Save on Bread, Eat Potatoes Instead' [above] intrigued me the most of all the Food Flashes I viewed at the Ministry of Food exhibit in London's Imperial War Museum. Call me spoiled, but I can't even imagine having to cut down on my bread intake, even for a day. To reduce my intake of roti, ciabattas, whole wheat toast and pandesal is to live in a temporary state of mourning... even though potatoes are kool and all, I guess.
London's current Ministry of Food exhibit reveals how the British adapted to a lifestyle of food shortages and food rationing during WWII. Through paintings, artwork, film, posters, taped recordings and all forms of paraphernalia, the exhibit is a window into history, allowing its visitors to peek right in. As such, I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit, almost as much as I enjoyed Warhol Live back in '08 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Food plays such an all-encompassing role in everyday life, and the Ministry of Food exhibit re-injected that insight into me. I left the museum that day in a dumbfounded state of fascination, pondering the present-day issues of international food security.
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