Horatio Herbert Kitchener (1850-1916), better known as Lord Kitchener spent most of his life serving in the British armed forces in Palestine, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa. He was hailed as a national hero after conquering Sudan and rebuilding Khartoum after it had been destroyed by the Mahdists.

In 1914 at the outbreak of World War I he was appointed Secretary of State for War, a job that involved administering all the British forces.

However, he is most famous for being the face on the recruitment poster, his steely gaze, handlebar moustache and pointing finger being instrumental in recruiting thousands into the “New Army”.

Lord Kitchener died in 1916 while on his way to Russia on board the cruiser HMS Hampshire which was sunk by a German mine.

The fame of the poster lasted a lot longer than World War I and it has been used in countless advertising campaigns and is still used today. It has also been copied and used all over the world to sell a wide variety of services and goods, often with other personalities in similar poses to that adopted by Kitchener.