this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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People wearing face masks during the Spanish Flu, California, USA, 1918 (media.piefed.social)
submitted 2 months ago by PugJesus@piefed.social to c/historyphotos@piefed.social
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[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 31 points 2 months ago (3 children)

The wild thing is, thet back then, people knew that they were protecting others from themselves by wearing one.

I feel like most people who wear masks today, wear them to protect themselves from catching a virus

[–] MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Because people understood back then that not wearing a mask while contagious meant directly killing others.

Also, flu was highly mortal at the time, and people were acutely aware of this.

I lost my parents because of an asymptomatic idiot who refused to wear a mask and wash his hands, yet insisted of visiting them. That person literally killed them.

I still consider anyone who consciously refused to wear a mask or get vaccinated during the last pandemic as selfish criminals and murderers who should be held accountable.

[–] visch@quokk.au 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Did you research this or are you just guessing?

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I was indeed guessing but there is an interesting read

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/masks-spanish-flu-1918/

'public health leaders rebranded personal care as a display of patriotism and duty to make men to wear masks.'

'In 1927, Edwin Jordan’s definitive study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association as a series of articles and then as a book, determined that masks were effective when worn by patients already sick or by those directly exposed to victims, including nurses and physicians.'

[–] visch@quokk.au 4 points 2 months ago

Thanks!

[–] Visstix@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Seeing as the photo implies people are being arrested for not wearing them. I doubt they did it out of their kindness of their heart.

Not sure why I am getting downvoted for saying most people probably wore masks to not get arrested.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 10 points 2 months ago

yeah there was a whole mask vs anti-mask movement then as now. the anti-maskers then were just as dumb