In the fall of 1918, the worldwide influenza epidemic hit Seattle. The flu was sudden and deadly. The city's health commissioner banned dances and closed theaters, churches, and schools. At the height of the epidemic, anyone going out in public was required by law to wear a mask made of six layers of gauze. This was supposed to keep the flu germs from spreading.
This 1918 photo shows a newspaper boy, wearing his flu mask, standing in front of a closed theater. A sign over the box office reads "All theatres closed until further notice at request of Mayor."
ID Number: SHS6338B
Date: 1918
Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.25 x 2.25 in.
