Primitive Gas Masks for the Great War

August 3, 2021

From the start of the pandemic, masks have become an annoying part of everyday life. However, back in the ‘30s and ‘40s, the much more cumbersome gas masks also became a wildly unwieldy accessory for people going about their day-to-day errands.

Scottish troops on parade with gas masks during World War I. (atlasobscura)

Gas masks became a requirement thanks to the invention of chlorine gas and later mustard gas utilized to horrific effect during World War I and II. Here’s the history of gas masks under the threat of war.

Chemical Warfare

A ballerina tries on a gas mask, Paris, 1939. (atlasobscura)

During those brutal conflicts, more than 88,000 died and over 1,200,000 suffered maladies, stemming from the use of chemical warfare. To mitigate the damage not only to soldiers but to innocent citizens as well, gas masks were issued to millions of citizens in hopes of protecting them from a violent and painful death.