Plague warnings, miracle cures and political panic on display in free London exhibition

"Broadsides first appeared in the 16th century, flourished in the 17th, and survived until newspapers gradually replaced them in the 19th century. Even when literacy rates were low, the visual impact of the posters helped spread information, and the later addition of illustrations made them even harder to ignore."

"Because they were designed to be pasted onto walls and quickly covered over by the next announcement, relatively few survived. Those that did are now on display, grouped into themes including Power, Ballads, People, News and... obviously for London, the plague."

"The exhibition includes copies of the Bills of Mortality, weekly death lists that revealed not only who had died, but also how. Next to them are displays of dubious medical advice promising to help readers avoid appearing in the following week's tally."

"Advertisements borrowed the heavy black typefaces and layouts used by official government notices to lend authority to miracle cures and questionable remedies - proof that the art of making nonsense look trustworthy is far older than lies on social media."

Broadsides were cheap single-page printed sheets that covered London walls from the 16th century onward. They carried royal proclamations, political warnings, miracle cures, crime reports, local gossip, and popular songs. They flourished in the 17th century and continued until newspapers gradually replaced them in the 19th century. Even with low literacy, their strong visual presence helped spread information, and later illustrations made them harder to ignore. Few survived because they were meant to be pasted up and quickly covered. Surviving examples are grouped by themes such as Power, Ballads, People, News, and the plague. The collection includes Bills of Mortality, weekly death lists with causes of death, and dubious medical advice promising to prevent inclusion in the next tally. Other items use official-looking typography to lend authority to questionable remedies, alongside proclamations about holidays, military service, and warnings about “Papism.”

Read at ianVisits