Wellington House, Buckingham Gate: Home of WW1 Propaganda

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In September 1914, a secret propaganda bureau was set up at Wellington House in London. The building was the home of the National Insurance Department. The bureau was run by writer Charles Masterman and was said to be so secret that most MPs were unaware it existed. Writers and newspaper editors were called upon to put together material which showed Britain’s war effort in a good light and to counter enemy messages. Wellington House also printed its own material which would be circulated around the world. Newspapers, cartoons and books were used in order to influence neutral and enemy countries. The bureau was replaced in 1917 by a new Department of Information which itself was replaced in 1918 by the Ministry of Information. The Ministry was run by newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook. Location: Wellington House, Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6BE Image: Charles Masterson, who ran Wellington House, courtesy of IWM