During his second inaugural address in 1936, Franklin Roosevelt issued his famous statement that he unhappily still saw “one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad and ill-nourished.” The president’s observation reiterated the New Deal’s commitment to curing some of the major social problems facing the country. One method used to attack these problems was the creation of health posters to inform citizens of agencies and services available to them.
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These health posters had an immediate bearing on the quality of life. Unfit housing, cancer, nutrition, and personal hygiene were just some of the social ills and medical issues addressed in these artworks. An important factor in the posters’ effectiveness was their nonjudgmental tone, for they were intended, not to frighten or shame, but to present information directing the reader toward an effective course of action.
© 2008 THE WHEATLEY PRESS |
