![]() ![]() In ancient Greece, sponges were used as a form of protection during the plagues of the 17th and 18th centuries, doctors donned beak-like masks filled with sweet-smelling herbs and spices, which they thought would protect them from both contagion and foul odors.īut the more modern ancestor of what we today know as the gas mask began appearing around the turn of the 19th century when protective gear was first invented for miners. Throughout history, certain workers have braved the dangers of smoke and noxious gasses while on the job. Today, we mostly think of gas masks as a defense against the threat of chemical warfare, but the invention has its roots in a more functional-though no less harrowing-place. government decided to use children as gas mask guinea pigs. Except, that is, for that time in the 1960s when the U.S. During both World Wars and the Cold War, they created school drills and new mask designs that tried to make the experience less frightening and more protective for the little ones. ![]() Gas masks have been on the front lines of this effort.ĭuring the 20th century, authorities were particularly concerned with how to protect the youngest generation from the sins of their fathers. Since chemical warfare exploded on the scene with lethal and terrifying force at the Second Battle of Ypres during WWI, nations have been attempting to create defenses for both soldiers and civilians against weapons that are largely invisible and indiscriminately deadly. With 1,000 of them given out, you'd have to think there are still a good number of them out there sitting in attics or museums.History Flashback takes a look at historical “found footage” of all kinds-newsreels, instructional films, even cartoons-to give us a glimpse into how much things have changed, and how much has remained the same. ![]() Mickey Mouse Gas Masks were distributed to senior officials and others during the war as keepsakes. Thankfully, no chemical attacks occurred in the United States. So what became of the masks once the war was over? This would reduce the fear associated with wearing a gas mask and hopefully, improve their wear time and, hence, survivability. The mask was designed so children would carry it and wear it as part of a game. Other comic book character designs were to follow, depending on the success of the Mickey Mouse mask. After approval of the CWS, Sun Rubber Products Company produced sample masks for review. Porter, Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. This design of the Mickey Mouse Gas Mask for children was presented to Major General William N. Smith, Jr., the owner of the Sun Rubber Company, and his designer, Dietrich Rempel, with Walt Disney’s approval introduced a protective mask for children. On January 7th, 1942, one month after Pearl Harbor, T.W. This site provides a full explanation, including this bit of back story: One of these products was the Mickey Mouse gas mask. One of the ways they found to deal with the uncertainty was to develop emergency response products to provide assistance in the event of another unforeseen tragedy. weren't sure when the next attack might come. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the anxious citizens of the U.S. But people in the United States weren’t always so lucky. I, thankfully, have only had to face those first two dilemmas. Your child doesn’t want to put on their gas mask? Get a Mickey Mouse gas mask. Having trouble getting your little one to eat their vegetables? A Buzz Lightyear spoon might do the trick. Want you child to go to bed? Maybe you get some Elmo bed sheets. As a father of two small children, I know that it’s always a little easier to get a child to follow a routine if one of their favorite characters are involved.
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