Propaganda on wheels: The NATO travelling exhibitions in the 1950s and 1960s

Despite the restrictive terms of reference and a limited operative budget, in the 1950s and 1960s the NATO Information Service launched a series of successful propaganda campaigns. One of the most effective initiatives was the organisation of a series of travelling exhibitions which toured the NATO countries. By travelling through the countryside and small centres, the travelling exhibitions reached areas that had not yet been touched by any other propaganda campaign. This paper investigates the choice of themes and objects put on display, the organisational problems and the question of assessing the impact of such initiatives in an historical context.