VD. The 'easy' girlfriend
Poster
ca. 1943-1944 (published)
ca. 1943-1944 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The British Ministry of Health's campaign against the spread of venereal disease (VD) during the Second World War of 1939-1945 warned men in the armed forces of the risks involved in casual sex, particularly when undertaken with promiscuous ('easy') women or prostitutes. 'VD. The "easy" girlfriend' is a grim reminder of the ever-presence of syphilis in what seems a macabre trio of death (symbolised by the skull), exotic sexual encounter (in the fleshy , sexual orchid) and feminine attraction (the pink veil).
Delve deeper
Discover more about this object
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | VD. The 'easy' girlfriend (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour lithograph |
| Brief description | Poster by Reginald Mount for an anti-VD campaign - 'Hello Boyfriend, Coming My Way'. UK, 1943-44. |
| Physical description | Portrait format poster.Black ground. Upper right corner the letters VD printed in grey; to the upper left a skull wearing a floral and netted pink hat, with the words "Hello boyfriend, coming MY way?" Below, a text printed in white on a grey ground : "The 'easy' girlfriend ...." warns of the dangers of venereal disease and advises treatment. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions | VD Hello boy friend, coming MY way? The 'easy' girl-friend spreads Syphilis and Gonorrhoea, which unless properly treated may result in blindness, insanity, paralysis, premature death IF YOU HAVE RUN THE RISK, GET SKILLED TREATMENT AT ONCE. TREATMENT IS FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL |
| Credit line | Given by Edwin Embleton MBE |
| Production | Produced by the Ministry of Information for the Ministry of Health and the Central Council of Health Education Reason For Production: Commission |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | The British Ministry of Health's campaign against the spread of venereal disease (VD) during the Second World War of 1939-1945 warned men in the armed forces of the risks involved in casual sex, particularly when undertaken with promiscuous ('easy') women or prostitutes. 'VD. The "easy" girlfriend' is a grim reminder of the ever-presence of syphilis in what seems a macabre trio of death (symbolised by the skull), exotic sexual encounter (in the fleshy , sexual orchid) and feminine attraction (the pink veil). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.2914-1995 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 7, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
