Unprecedented #7

STRANGE TIMES 2020 – have we been here before?

This is one of a series of posts inspired by the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic. You can also see an article about the ephemera of the Spanish Flu in Australia in the soon to be released issue of The Ephemera Journal of Australia. OK there may be a further delay as our printer probably can’t operate until mid September. You will receive a copy if you join the Society $40/$25 a year or you can buy a single issue for $20 including postage.

Yet again we draw on the collection of Ed J. for notifications of infectious diseases. We have looked at reports of infectious diseases before but this one is right on point, reported on 1 April 1919 and entered in Richmond council health records on 23 April 1919.

So what is familiar?

• disease? Influenza
• delays? Yes;
• occupation affected? Yes a cleaner at higher risk then and now.