Malaria - Give 'Em Hell

As WWII battles grew increasingly in the Pacific, unforeseen dangers arose. One such danger was that of malaria, a disease spread by mosquitos in humid climates. This was a surprising issue since quinine, a cheap antidote for the disease, had been developed way back in the 1850s. Quinine is made from the bark of the cinchona tree, which grows in the Philippines and Indonesia; two countries Japan invaded and occupied in early 1942. This cut off the Allied Forces completely from access to the medicine, making thousands of troops now extremely vulnerable. Almost overnight, more soldiers began to be hospitalized for malaria than for battle-induced wounds. Aggressive education campaigns about prevention of mosquito bites, such as this poster, helped curb the issue.

We have attributed this poster to Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel, 1904-1991) due to the striking resemblance of this mosquito to his mosquito character, Ann which was created for another anti-malaria campaign by the U.S. Army. Dr. Seuss served in WWII as an Army captain, and was leaned on to create several illustrations for Army use in his time in the Service.

This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all our posters.