Chic-N-Coop Restaurant Placemat

The Chic-N-Coop Restaurant in Montreal, Quebec was well-known for its provocative placemats. During the Second World War, the restaurant would often depict caricatures of Hitler and war scenes on their placemats.

Nevertheless, some of the imagery on display also included stereotypes that are are inappropriate and offensive depictions of different racialized groups. In this way, one simple placemat offers insight on the wartime attitudes of society towards Canada's enemies, but also on society's biases and perceptions of race and culture.

Chic-n-coop Restaurant Mat (Montreal: N.D)

Placemat. 30 cm x 25 cm. Irregular borders.
Ley and Lois Smith War, Memory and Popular Culture Research Collection - The University of Western Ontario - London, Ontario
Second World War