June 16, 2015
Firing up your health — World War II style
As history progresses, we learn some things. It used to be that cigarette smoking was not only common, it was even promoted by advertising agencies using physicians as spokesmen. We know better now. But these two World War II vintage artifacts, recently donated to the Kaiser Permanente archives by retired physician John Igo, MD, are a reminder of that earlier normal.
The matchbook above promotes the Richmond Field Hospital. The other below depicts the flagship hospital in Oakland, which was across the street from Oakland’s new facility. The logo is a short-lived variant of the one used for the Permanente Metals Corporation that built ships for the U.S. Maritime Commission, featuring three ship prows.
These days, of course, smoking is prohibited in all Kaiser Permanente facilities.
