1950s Chinese Children’s Hygiene Poster - Civic Responsibility & Cleanliness Education #1206922 (License: Personal Use)

This mid-20th-century illustrated poster, published by Shanghai Xin Ya Bookstore, depicts three scenes of children practicing public hygiene: erasing wall drawings, depositing waste into a dual-compartment bin marked “Litter Box” (廢物箱), and collecting discarded items from the pavement. The vertical text reinforces moral instruction: “I don’t smear walls, I don’t tamper with public property, I don’t litter fruit peels or paper.” The artwork reflects early PRC efforts to instill collective discipline and urban cleanliness among youth through visual pedagogy.

Used in schools, community centers, and public campaigns during the 1950s-60s in mainland China to teach socialist civic values; targets educators, historians, and designers researching propaganda art, public health education, or childhood socialization in post-revolutionary China.