this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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HistoryPhotos

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HistoryPhotos is for photographs (or, if it can be found, film) of the past, recent or distant! Give us a little snapshot of history!

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[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 34 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh sure. Give me this image NOW!!! I would have loved posting this in 2020.

[–] bonenode@piefed.social 12 points 1 month ago

You can be sure this has been posted.

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 31 points 1 month 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 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month 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 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Did you research this or are you just guessing?

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month 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 1 month ago
[–] Visstix@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month 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 1 month ago

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

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] Asfalttikyntaja@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 month ago

Those fucking sheeples.

[–] cheeseburger@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I guess there were anti-mask dipshits even then.

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

IIRC the ordinance was to wear masks outside but people were allowed to take them off inside because that's where they were eating, drinking, and doing stuff. So good intentions but would have been more effective if the policy was reversed.