"Freedom to Breathe" Environmental Poster

Scientific studies have linked air pollution to quality of life and health issues. To emphasize the need to control the quality of the country’s air, this poster shows the Statue of Liberty, an American symbol of freedom, wearing a gas mask because she has lost the freedom to breathe clean, healthy air. Produced in 1969 by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, it resembles rock music posters of the era.

This poster is part of the political and military collections at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It was designed for specific political purposes, and accordingly it may contain sensitive or offensive imagery specific to its historical function and period.