Thingamababy

The Works Progress Administration was established as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ for America during the Great Depression. The WPA produced posters from 1936 to 1943 as one of many public works projects (employing starving artists while informing the general public about issues of concern).

The following images are from the Library of Congress American Memory collection. Click thumbnails for an enlarged pop-up version.

1) Nurse the baby: Your protection against trouble: Inform yourself through the Health Bureau publications and consult your doctor.

2) Unfair to babies: A helpless infant can’t go on strike: It depends on your care.

3) John is not really dull — he may only need his eyes examined.

[Notice how the words get smaller and smaller as if you're reading an eye exam chart.]

4) Expecting? Get the right advice from the right sources, your doctor or health bureau.

5) Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet reading a picture book; there came a spider, and sat down beside her, and said, "May I have a look?"

6) Doll & buggy parade #1. 

[I've never attended one, but apparently some towns, such as Great Falls, Montana, still hold doll and pet parades (sometimes including tricycles and bikes).]

7) Doll and buggy parade #2.

8) A lifelong job — the constant protection of their health (your children’s health).

Monday, May 22nd, 2006Historical