This car headlight shade was manufactured to a specification issued by the War Office during World War 2 to reduce the amount of light visible from a distance. It was believed that this could act as a navigation aid to bombing aircraft, hence the

'blackout'. Cars also had running boards and bumpers, wings etc painted white to make them more visible at night. Despite this road accidents at night increased greatly, with more people being killed in the UK by vehicles than by enemy bombing. Found in

store 2001.