The Enemy Is Syphilis - Historic Public Health Poster from Illinois WPA Art Project #281725 (License: Personal Use)

This iconic public health poster, created by the Illinois Works Progress Administration (WPA) Art Project in Chicago during the 1930s or 1940s, employs high-contrast silhouettes and bold typography to convey urgency. A menacing, gas-masked figure-symbolizing syphilis-looms over three uniformed workers, while the headline “THE ENEMY IS SYPHILIS” dominates the top. Below, the handwritten slogan urges citizens to “Enlist employees in a campaign against it,” reflecting early efforts to mobilize workplace-based disease prevention.

Used in clinics, schools, and government offices during mid-20th century U.S. public health campaigns, this image served to destigmatize and educate about venereal disease control, aligning with user intent for historical public health resources, educational material, or visual rhetoric analysis.