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.
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
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.
Britain’s Giant Respirator Distribution
In the 40’s England handed out over 35 million “General Civilian Respirators.” World War I was over but the possibility of more combat brooded over Europe. With such close proximity to the fighting in Europe, the British made a hard push to equip just about every man, woman, and child with terrifying looking gas masks straight out of a Hitchcock movie. They looked alarming and undoubtedly felt about as comfortable as stuffing your head in someone’s shoe but at least, they stopped your lungs from melting in your chest!
Surreal PSA
To help get the word out on the importance of gas masks, the Brits also created a PSA that would blow your mind if you saw it today. The black and white newsreel started off with jovial elevator music before a voice-over came in with an amiable message, “Some of us have been inclined to forget about our gas masks. You all have a gas mask, and you ought to carry it in order to practice wearing it!”
Practice Makes Perfect
Not only did the government push people to carry and utilize their gas masks, but also to practice wearing them in order to become accustomed to the feeling. “Put it on for 10–15 minutes, one day a week,” beseeched the health and safety message. “It may be a little irksome at first, but you’ll soon get used to it.” People even had to train to do their jobs while wearing gas masks in case of an emergency.
Gas Mask Drills
One captioned photo described the depth of gas mask training, detailing how operators “are being trained to use special gas masks so they can remain at their posts in an emergency—even if their switch room is full of gas. The masks are fitted with microphones and earphones so that operators can hear and speak to callers.” Whether you were a switchboard operator or a ballerina, gas masks practice was compulsory.
Not Just England
While Great Britain went the furthest in protecting their citizens from gas attacks, they were far from the only ones. Germany, France, and Italy all offered and distributed masks in great quantities. Ironically, the Soviet Union who had suffered the majority of gas-related deaths, only 10% of the population owned one.
The photos and historical perspective enthralled Stanley B. Burns, a New York ophthalmologist, so much he wrote a book on the subject. As he put it, “to increase citizens’ comfort using their masks at home, at work, and at play. The photographs are haunting documents of ordinary people, including children, learning to live their lives wearing these odd contraptions.” Many aspects of life nearly a century ago seem ridiculous and often hilarious. However, seeing the pictures of gas masks used so casually exudes an aura reserved for the “Twilight Zone.”