Juke Joint Sniper Syphilis and Gonorrhea

This striking World War II public-health poster depicts a stylish woman outside a dance hall as a metaphorical source of danger, warning soldiers about the risks of contracting venereal diseases while on leave. With painterly realism, dramatic lighting, and nightclub-district details such as “Shorty’s Place” and neon-style typography, the poster frames sexual temptation as a hidden threat to military readiness. The confrontational title “Juke Joint Sniper” casts the woman as a covert assailant, echoing wartime language to equate disease with an unseen enemy.During the war, infections such as syphilis and gonorrhea represented a significant drain on troop strength, often requiring prolonged hospitalization and reducing manpower at a time of high operational demand. Before penicillin was widely available, treatment was lengthy and less reliable. To keep soldiers fit for deployment and prevent infections from returning home with them, the U.S. government launched a broad venereal-disease campaign that included posters, films, pamphlets, on-base lectures, and prophylactic services. Imagery frequently portrayed nightlife and casual encounters as vectors of infection, encouraging caution rather than abstinence-based moral messaging.Ferree contributed to a series of mid-century educational posters addressing wartime public-health concerns. While full biographical documentation is limited, artists of this field commonly worked for print contractors serving the War Department, state health services, and the American Social Health Association. Their work employed vivid, narrative imagery to deliver urgent instructions quickly and effectively to enlisted audiences.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.