Venereal Disease Covers The Earth

This original World War II public-health poster warns American servicemen about the global threat of venereal disease during wartime travel. A striking illustration of a stylish woman in red is positioned against a shadowed world map, using glamour and intrigue as cautionary visual symbols. The composition relies on bold contrast and noir-like atmosphere, hinting that temptation could be encountered anywhere abroad. The language urges immediate prevention rather than moral judgment, reinforcing that protection was a necessary part of military readiness.During World War II, venereal disease—primarily syphilis and gonorrhea—posed a major medical threat to U.S. troops overseas. Before penicillin became widely available, treatment required long hospital stays, leading to significant loss of manpower. The U.S. government, often working with the American Social Health Association, launched a nationwide campaign of posters, pamphlets, and on-base education to discourage encounters with unknown partners, encourage prophylactic treatment, and reframe sexual health as essential to national defense. The campaign continued as soldiers returned home, when officials feared infections could spread rapidly into the civilian population. Posters such as this one depicted danger through seductive imagery to convey that disease could be a hidden, global enemy even after the war.F. Williams, the artist, worked during the 1940s as an illustrator specializing in government-issued public health and military educational materials. While biographical information is limited, artists in this category typically produced work through commercial printing firms contracted by federal agencies, developing visually direct designs intended to communicate quickly 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.