--- title: See 18 Gorgeous Public Health Posters From the 1930s description: Artists created these images to spread important messages about health and safety canonical: https://time.com/4270855/wpa-health-posters/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-08T12:00:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:46:41.219Z article:section: History og:title: See 18 Gorgeous Public Health Posters From the 1930s og:description: Artists created these images to spread important messages about health and safety og:url: https://time.com/4270855/wpa-health-posters/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e3ccad317046f3e/69888c5ba988ca8eda6b720c/160324-wpa-health-poster-03.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: WPA Health Poster og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See 18 Gorgeous Public Health Posters From the 1930s twitter:description: Artists created these images to spread important messages about health and safety twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e3ccad317046f3e/69888c5ba988ca8eda6b720c/160324-wpa-health-poster-03.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See 18 Gorgeous Public Health Posters From the 1930s by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 8, 2016 12:00 PM CUT  Poster promoting better health care through the prevention of tuberculosis by better eating and sleeping habits, and more exposure to sunshine. Created between 1936 and 1941. Poster promoting better health care through the prevention of tuberculosis by better eating and sleeping habits, and more exposure to sunshine. Created between 1936 and 1941.Library of Congress by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 8, 2016 12:00 PM CUT Public health messaging can be a delicate task. The right poster or TV bit will grab a person’s attention and spur them to change their behavior. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, in an effort to get American artists back to work in a way that benefited the rest of the nation too, the government commissioned hundreds of posters for a variety of causes, including public health messaging. The posters were created under a program of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed over 8.5 million people. Beyond employing those who designed posters, of which there are 2,000 known examples, the WPA provided lots of construction-related jobs building roads and parks. It is [estimated](http://www.amazon.com/Posters-People-Ennis-Carter/dp/1594742928/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459950961&sr=1-1&keywords=Posters+people#reader%5F1594742928 "undefined") that the WPA poster division printed about 2 million posters, most of which were subsequently lost or destroyed. Of the remaining originals, the Library of Congress keeps the largest collection of these posters, which include a variety of PSAs covering topics ranging from warnings about dog bites to encouraging vaccinations. One poster shows a man tossing dice with the phrase, “Don’t gamble with syphilis—Consult health authorities.”  Poster showing a woman and two children in the rain: A lifelong job--the constant protection of their health--The Cook County Public Health Unit / E.S. Reid. Created between 1936 and 1941. Library of Congress  Poster for Cleveland Division of Health promoting swimming as healthy exercise, showing a man and a woman in a swimming pool. Created in 1940 Library of Congress  Poster promoting better health care through the prevention of tuberculosis by better eating and sleeping habits, and more exposure to sunshine. Created between 1936 and 1941. Library of Congress  Poster promoting good oral hygiene, showing stylized face, toothbrush and toothpaste. Created betweeb 1936 and 1938. Library of Congress  Poster for the Cleveland Division of Health encouraging dog bite victims to report dog bites to the proper authorities, showing dog and injured hand. Created in 1941. Library of Congress  Poster showing a man rolling dice: Don't gamble with syphilis--Consult health authorities. Created between 1936 and 1940. Library of Congress  Poster for Cleveland Division of Health promoting milk, showing a large bottle of milk next to couples smiling, playing golf, tennis, and two babies. Created in 1940. Library of Congress  Poster promoting proper health care for children, showing a girl with a fawn. Created between 1936 and 1938. Library of Congress  Poster promoting better health care through early treatment of cancer, showing a hand holding a sword. Created between 1936 and 1938. Library of Congress  Poster for Illinois WPA Safety Division promoting immediate treatment of on-the-job injuries. Created between 1936 and 1941. Library of Congress  Poster for Chicago Department of Health showing large red question mark. Created between 1936 and 1941. Library of Congress  Poster showing whiskey bottle, gas pump, and a skull. Created between 1936 and 1937. Library of Congress  Poster promoting proper dietary habits, showing stylized fruit. Created between 1936 and 1938. Library of Congress  Poster showing an outhouse in a picturesque, small town setting: Your home is not complete without a sanitary unit, recommended by the State Department of Public Health. Created between 1936 and 1941. Library of Congress  Poster for the Chicago Department of Health, showing a flying disc "Toxoid" preventing a lightning bolt from striking a child. Created between 1936 and 1941. Library of Congress  Poster promoting diagnosis and treatment for cancer. Created between 1936 and 1939. Library of Congress  City of Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium poster promoting testing for tuberculosis and showing two athletes hurdling barriers "malnutrition" and "heart disease" and a third athlete stumbling over the barrier "tuberculosis" on their way to the finish line "good health." Created between 1936 and 1939. Library of Congress  Poster promoting cleanliness and proper child care, showing swan with cygnet. Created between 1936 and 1939. 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