20th-Century Public Health Posters on display in DC

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The art of warning: Eye-catching images portray public health dangers

A National Academies' exhibit shows how health posters have,

throughout modern history, communicated messages about infectious

diseases.

By Stapleton, AMNews staff. June 2, 2008.

Luscious and wonderful images that spread like a virus to inoculate

people against disease -- these are words curator Sappol, PhD,

used to describe the pictures included in the upcoming National

Academies' exhibit, " An Iconography of Contagion: 20th-Century Health

Posters and the Visual Representation of Infectious Disease. " Dr.

Sappol is a historian at the National Library of Medicine of the

National Institutes of Health.

" These are rich, cultural documents, " he said, and they provide

insights into the interplay between the public understanding of

disease and society's values.

The show, which will be on display beginning this month in Washington,

D.C., explores the use of these images since the early 1900s.

Over the years, public health posters have focused on a range of new

and old diseases -- from tuberculosis and syphilis to HIV/AIDS. They

communicated messages about infection control and prevention and aimed

to alter behavior and public perceptions. But these historic images

become even more striking when considered in the context of the eras

during which they first appeared.

" The posters reflect the fears and concerns of the time and also the

knowledge that was available, " explained , MD, an associate

clinical professor at Harvard Medical School and of population and

international health at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

This dynamic is evident in the portrayals of disease vectors. Some

World War II-era posters warning of malaria depicted mosquitoes with

Japanese features, " giving the illness the face of an enemy, " Dr.

Sappol said. Another example he offered is a syphilis poster from the

same period. It featured an image of an alluring woman who also is

scary in a sexually aggressive way, while ignoring the fact that men

were equally culpable in spreading the disease, he said.

But the HIV/AIDS posters of the 1980s were an " enormous breakthrough, "

he added. They sought to destigmatize the disease carriers instead of

making them the focus of wariness and caution.

The emergence of an art form

Posters as a form of mass communication first emerged in Western and

Central Europe in the mid-1800s. Soon after, this approach became a

cutting-edge form of advertising. Vibrant, eye-catching announcements

publicizing everything from theatrical events to politics papered

public spaces -- in part because of advancements in photography, color

and design techniques, as well as mass production.

It was " a moment in visual culture when images began proliferating, "

Dr. Sappol said. " People were barraged by pictures trying to get them

to do things. Public health crusaders at this time were also trying to

mobilize the public. The two forces came together. "

Ultimately, the use of posters became a mainstay of such efforts.

Whether urging people to carry handkerchiefs, use condoms, refrain

from drinking unsanitary water or get vaccinated, through the years

the posters have employed a mix of rational arguments and emotional

images. To the extent that they tap into people's fears and belief

systems, they can educate and change behavior -- but first they must

get public attention, Dr. said.

For now, the early 20th-century dream that the medium would be part of

more coordinated and cumulative health campaigns seems far away. The

crusaders at that time had hoped that visual representations would

lead " the public to act to address the problems in their own bodies

and their own communities, and to build political support for

government action and medical intervention, " Dr. Sappol said.

Still, Dr. noted that " images remain extremely powerful in

shaping perceptions and actions, though now we receive more images

through different media, including electronically. ... Cartoons,

covers of magazines, brochures and certainly advertisements all shape

our actions and beliefs in ways that we are often unaware of. "

Though the posters included in the exhibit are entertaining to view,

in their heyday they sought to complete serious educational missions

that were matters of life and death.

" These [deal with] terrible diseases, " Dr. Sappol said -- a fact he

hopes people will keep in mind. Otherwise, he added, because of the

interest and beauty of the posters, the exhibit could " just be too

much fun. "

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/06/02/hlsa0602.htm

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Exhibit details

" An Iconography of Contagion: 20th-Century Health Posters and the

Visual Representation of Infectious Disease "

National Academies' Keck Center (June 16-Aug. 15)

500 Fifth St., NW, First Floor Gallery

Viewable by appointment, 202-334-2436

National Academy of Sciences (Sept. 2-Dec. 19)

2100 C St., NW, Upstairs Gallery

Open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

" An Iconography of Contagion: 20th Century Health Posters and the

Visual Representation of Infectious Disease, " a National Academies

exhibit (www7.nationalacademies.org/arts/iconography_contagion.html)

Visual Culture and Public Health Posters, the National Institutes of

Health National Library of Medicine

(www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/visualculture/vchome.html)

> http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/06/02/hlsa0602.htm