Keep out malaria mosquitoes, repair your torn screens
Public-health poster: a cartoon mosquito with large eyes and a long yellow proboscis climbs through a torn window screen, saying it has had a lucky break. The headline tells householders to keep out malaria mosquitoes and repair torn screens. The technique is a light fear-appeal, with the insect given a speaking, gloating character.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Federal Security Agency, U.S. Public Health Service (artist: Margo)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Health, Home front
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Federal Security Agency, U.S. Public Health Service. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1200 (NAID 514806).
Text on the object
[signature: Margo] OH BOY! WHAT A BREAK, THIS IS WHERE I COME IN! KEEP OUT MALARIA MOSQUITOES REPAIR YOUR TORN SCREENS [imprint: U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943—O—516139] Federal Security Agency U. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE [imprint: For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.] MC 2
