Would you be more careful if it was you that got pregnant? thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case MB3G, Shelf DR25

Would you be more careful if it was you that got pregnant?

Poster
1969 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Many people found this poster shocking and even offensive when it first appeared. Contraception was a taboo subject for display in public spaces and the image itself subverts the model's masculinity. However, these shock tactics were effective in drawing men's attention to the issue of unwanted pregnancy. It is a famous example of the power of advertising, and the image has become part of popular British iconography, still referred to and reproduced.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleWould you be more careful if it was you that got pregnant? (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Offset lithograph
Brief description
Poster for the Health Education Council, issued by the Family Planning Association. UK, 1969.
Physical description
Photographic image of a heavily pregnant man.
Dimensions
  • Width: 416mm
  • Width: 41.5cm
Credit line
Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Many people found this poster shocking and even offensive when it first appeared. Contraception was a taboo subject for display in public spaces and the image itself subverts the model's masculinity. However, these shock tactics were effective in drawing men's attention to the issue of unwanted pregnancy. It is a famous example of the power of advertising, and the image has become part of popular British iconography, still referred to and reproduced.
Associated object
E.755-1997 (Duplicate)
Other number
LS.1289 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Accession number
E.1704-2004

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Record createdAugust 23, 2004
Record URL
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