Flu Masks

Project Announcements

New Essay: Nursing Clio

Right All the Way Through: Dr. Minerva Goodman and the Stockton Mask Debate during the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic, April 21, 2021
https://nursingclio.org/2021/04/20/right-all-the-way-through-dr-minerva-goodman-and-the-stockton-mask-debate-during-the-1918-1919-influenza-epidemic/

The Flu Mask Research Project

The Flu Mask project at Virginia Tech examines the historical experience of masking during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic as a way to understand how people experience an epidemic, how masks fit into a broader public health response, the scientific evidence of the effectiveness of masks, and the lessons learned from this historical experience for future uses of masks, including Covid-19 in 2020 (and beyond). The project has been funded by the Department of History, the Center for Humanities, and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech.

The Project Team

The Project Team includes Jessica Brabble, a masters student in the Department of History, Ariel Ludwig, who received her PhD from the Department of Science, Technology, and Society in May 2020, and Tom Ewing, professor of history.

Publications

Our Publications include essays and articles written by the team about the project and masks in history.

Resources

Resources for further research on flu masks during the 1918 epidemic are available, with links as appropriate.

Essays

Essays about interesting research questions, materials, and topics discovered in the process of researching flu masks.

The website photograph shows trainees wearing masks in Portland, Oregon in October 1918. All photographs courtesy of National Archives.