Colonel Care Says: The whore house is run on the principle that an easy mark is born every minute Accession Number: ARTV07549

Description

Venereal disease prevention poster designed to be displayed in soldiers' camps. This is a text-based poster, with no images. The title is printed in red ink, and the remainder of the text is printed in black ink. A red stripe is runs across the top and bottom of the poster. The posters produced by the Social Hygiene Division were a breakthrough in preventive medicine - previous to the war, venereal diseases were rarely discussed, and there were limited medical resources in the United States for the treatment of those suffering from them. At the beginning of the twentieth century venereal disease was a prevalent concern for social health organizations. The social stigma attached to these diseases prevented most people from discussing or addressing means of treatment. In 1913, at a conference in New York, several organizations dedicated to fighting prostitution and venereal disease joined together to form the American Social Hygiene Association (ASHA). The association was established to stop the venereal disease epidemic by educating the public about sexually transmitted infections, working to break down the social stigma attached to VD, and encouraging high moral standards. ASHA's early worked focused on education and awareness efforts within the armed forces. ASHA worked with the US War Department during the First World War when VD occurrences surged among soldiers. Their efforts included educating soldiers about venereal diseases and their transmission and attempting to eliminate prostitution, which was believed to be the primary vehicle for VD transmission among the armed forces. Due to its contribution to the war effort, ASHA gained national attention and succeeded in creating public awareness of VD.

Details

Accession Number
ARTV07549
Artist
Unknown
Publisher
Social Hygiene Division
Classification
Art
Object Type
Poster
Measurement
sheet: 28.1 cm x 35.9 cm
Medium
offset lithograph on paper
Date Made
1918
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
Acquired 1982
Copyright
Copyright expired - public domain

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Accession ARTV07549

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Last modified: 25 August 2025 - 12.13 am