| Place | Europe: United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ARTV01955 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 75.6 x 50.6 cm |
| Object type | Poster |
| Physical description | lithograph on paper |
| Maker |
Bateman, Henry Mayo H.M. Stationery Office |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London |
| Date made | 1939-1945 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Ministry of Health says: - coughs and sneezes spread diseases...
Description
'Coughs and sneezes spread diseases' was an Second World War campaign aimed at stopping the spread of diseases and other ailments, such as the common cold. This poster was one of a series produced to achieve this aim. Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand all had similar campaigns using the same phraseology. The slogan 'coughs and sneezes spread diseases' originates from the United States around 1918 during the peak of the Spanish flu. The phrase has been used periodically since the Second World War by different health organisations including the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), including the more recent 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu and the 2020 COVID-19 Corona Virus pandemics.
This British war poster depicts a man sneezing over horrified railway passengers.