# Carriers of the New Black Plague

- By: William Cotton
- Date: 1938-04-07
- Classification: Photograph
- Credit line: https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/56686jc/carriers-of-the-new-black-plague-cotton
- Museum: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carriers_of_the_New_Black_Plague.jpg)
- Rights: Public domain
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/commons/thumb/c/c9/Carriers_of_the_New_Black_Plague.jpg/1920px-Carriers_of_the_New_Black_Plague.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Carriers of the New Black Plague, 1938. Well preserved example of the original artwork for this provocative satirical pictorial map, addressing the varying levels of control of free speech exercised around the world, drawn by William Henry Cotton.

The illustration by Cotton, which served as the central double-page spread in the inaugural issue of Ken magazine, issued in April 1938, stands as a notable artifact of pre-World War II American culture. Ken magazine, recognized for its anti-Fascist stance, chose this piece for its powerful political commentary. The artwork, replicated without notable alterations in the design from the maquette to the final print, is nearly double the size of the its magazine counterpart. It employs satire to cast a critical eye on the global political landscape of the era, with a focus on the exaggerated presence of dictators.

The exaggerated depictions serve as a form of political satire, intended to critique and draw attention to the authoritarian regimes that were gaining power at the time. This artistic choice underscores the urgency and the heightened political concerns of the era, reflecting the widespread apprehension about the future course…