The Germs of this Disease are Everywhere
A photograph of three children bent over a book sits inside a white triangle, with the text 'The germs of this disease are everywhere' in a circle below. The disease is not named on this sheet; the appeal rests on the unnamed threat set against the children's faces.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- British government, printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Multi Machine Plates Ltd., London (issuing department not named on the poster)
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Health, Home front
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- 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 Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
H.M. Stationery Office; US National Archives, WWII Foreign Posters (NARA 44266592).
Text on the object
THE GERMS OF THIS DISEASE ARE EVERYWHERE PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY MULTI MACHINE PLATES LTD. LONDON E.C.4. 51-2571
