Dorrit Dekk, 1917-2014

All you need is love, plus POSB Investment Account, c.1960 by Dorrit Dekk

All you need is love, plus POSB Investment Account, 1960s, POST 110/4203

Dorrit Dekk was born Dorothy Fuhrmann in Brno, in today’s Czech Republic. As a Jewish artist, she moved to London in the late 1930s to escape persecution by the Nazis and served as a radio intelligence officer.

After the end of the Second World War, Dorrit worked as a government poster designer in the Central Office of Information. Within a few years, she became a freelancer with the professional name ‘Dorrit Dekk’. 

She designed commercial posters for the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), London Transport, P&O and Air France, among other businesses, and she also illustrated for Tatler Magazine and Penguin Books. Dorrit died in 2014. Naomi Games wrote her very affectionate obituary in the Guardian.

If you visited a post office in the swinging 60s, you might have seen this rather groovy poster on the wall by Dorrit Dekk. It was meant to get you thinking about opening an account with the Post Office Savings Bank.

'All you need is love...' is familiar enough, but as our eye follows the arrow shape we reach the little addendum: '...plus a Post Office Savings Bank investment account'. The poster creates a tension between idealism and practicality.
The happily married couple are made in Dekk's home-made collage style. Weddings are expensive, and your future together isn't taken care of on your wedding day! The poster taps into all of our worries about planning for what's to come. But in a cheerful way.
Dorrit Dekk's signature in the top right-hand corner.

More by Dorrit Dekk

Here are 12 more Dorrit Dekk posters from our collections.

  • Warning: Is your wireless set licensed?

    ‘Warning: Is your wireless set licensed?’. PRD 547, 1949, POST 110/1236.

  • Save through the Post Office Savings Bank

    ‘Save through the Post Office Savings Bank’. PH 899, 1950s, POST 110/4332.

  • Books of stamps save time

    ‘Books of stamps save time’. PRD 837, 1956, POST 110/2525.

  • Cheer up! The outlook is brighter with money in the Post Office Savings Bank

    ‘Cheer up! The outlook is brighter with money in the Post Office Savings Bank’. Unnumbered poster, c.1960, POST 110/4204.

  • For home makers

    ‘For home makers’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4195.

  • Save for something special

    ‘Save for something special’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4196.

  • On pay day remember the Post Office Savings Bank

    ‘On pay day remember the Post Office Savings Bank’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4201.

  • Planning ahead

    ‘Planning ahead’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4197.

  • ‘A sense of security’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4199.

  • On the up and up

    ‘On the up and up’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4194.

  • A lot of interest for you

    ‘A lot of interest for you’. Unnumbered poster, 1960s, POST 110/4193.

  • Save for something special

    ‘Save for something special: National Savings Bank at the Post Office’. Unnumbered poster, c.1969, POST 110/4200.

Posters by other artists on the same theme

A selection of Post Office Savings Bank posters from our collections, from the 1940s to the 1960s.

Make your money provide the driving power
National Savings strengthen every fighting front
'National Savings strengthen every fighting front'. Poster artwork by unknown designer, c.1942, POST 109/554A.
Make your money provide the driving power
'Make your money provide the driving power'. Poster designed by Robbe, PB 48, c.1940, POST 110/4216
Make your money the driving power
'Make your money the driving power.' Poster designed by Pat Keely, PB 45, 1942, POST 110/4214.
Make your money provide the driving power
'Make your money provide the driving power'. Poster designed by Eric Fraser, PRD 274, 1942, POST 110/3191.
Make your money provide the driving power
'Make your money provide the driving power'. Poster designed by Alfred Thompson, PRD 265, 1942, POST 110/3190.
Make your money provide the driving power
'Make your money provide the driving power.' Poster designed by Eric Fraser, PRD 286, 1943, POST 110/3193.
Action stations: Saving is everybody's war job
'Action stations: Saving is everybody's war job'. Poster designed by F H K Henrion, PRD 355, 1944, POST 110/3198.
Save for the future. Open an account in the Post Office Savings Bank now
'Save for the future. Open an account in the Post Office Savings Bank now'. Poster designed by 'SAV', PH 883, c.1948, POST 110/4330.
National Savings stamps and gift tokens
'National Savings stamps and gift tokens'. Poster designed by unknown artist. PB 72, c.1945, POSt 109/565.
Keep your money in the Post Office Savings Bank
'Keep your money in the Post Office Savings Bank'. Poster artwork by Pat Keely, PRD 584, 1950, POST 109/382.
You may be a 'Lucky' pussy - Mummy means to be sure
'You may be a 'Lucky' pussy - Mummy means to be sure'. Poster designed by unknown artist, c.1955, POST 110/2736.
The handiest way of saving
'The handiest way of saving'. Poster designed by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 110/3090.
Be really cool man - Save
'Be really cool man - Save', Poster designed by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 110/2740.
Save man save
'Save man save'. Poster designed by Stan Krol, c.1960, POST 110/2741.
Eureka!
'Eureka!'. Poster artwork by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 109/902.
Now is the time to start saving
'Now is the time to start saving'. Poster artwork by Donald Smith, c.1955, POST 109/909.
Savings minded people save with Post Office Savings Bank
'Savings minded people save with Post Office Savings Bank'. Poster artwork by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 109/905.
Six an' a half per cent
'Six an' a half per cent'. Poster designed by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 110/3092.
The key to your money
'The key to your money'. Poster artwork by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 109/896.
Save regularly
'Save regularly'. Poster artwork by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 109/900.
Put two and two together and make more with Post Office Savings Bank
'Put two and two together and make more with Post Office Savings Bank', Poster artwork by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 109/908.
As little as 5s will open an account
'As little as 5s will open an account'. Poster artwork by Stan Krol, 1952, POST 109/893.
Trump cards
'Trump cards'. Poster designed by Stan Krol, 1960s, POST 110/3093.
Post Office Savings Bank 1861-1961: A hundred years of service
'Post Office Savings Bank 1861-1961: A hundred years of service'. Poster designed by Robert Scanlan, PRD 1210, 1961, POST 110/2616.
5% interest? From the Post Office?
'5% interest? From the Post Office?'. Poster designed by unknown artist, PRD 1826, 1967, POST 110/1532.
5% interest? From the Post Office?
'5% interest? From the Post Office?'. Poster designed by unknown artist. PRD 1781, 1966, POST 110/1525.
Savings bank deposits
'Savings bank deposits'. Poster by unknown artist, PRD 1742, 1967, POSt 110/3995.