Catalogue Number
NMLH.2021.151.2
Object Name
Poster
Title
Ken Sprague Print "It's for purely defensive purposes."
People
Ken Sprague
Events
Porton Down experiments
Date
1969
Description
Large a2 silk screen-printed poster, part of the Ken Sprague Porton collection. The poster is in good condition, and is in black and white. There are two large figures on the right and left of the print, both are wearing gas masks, protective aprons and gloves. They look like sinister robot figures. The centre of the poster has a man wearing a suit with his hands interlocked - this man looks like he is smiling, and looks wealthy due to his suit. In the image he is presented as someone with more status due to the illustration of his face, in contrast to the faceless men with gas masks. Underneath the man, there is a box with a brown rat inside. The reproduction of a 17th century image of a rat is used as a reminder of the plague. Rats were being used at Porton Down in the production of chemical and bacteriological weapons - Sprague commented that the use of rats was ironic due to them previously carrying the plague, and then being used for tests for chemical and nerve agent weapons. Above the man's head it says in white text - "It's for purely defensive purposes." Sprague has said " as our government says, "it's all for defensive purposes" - where then is our defence? Do our doctors have the means of treating us, assuming that they can be reached in time? Can we be told where to get protective clothing for our children? Gas masks for our wives? Quite apart from the moral implications involved!." This poster is commenting on the irony of the government's actions; in how the scientific experiments in the name of "defence" were in fact endangering the workers, and British citizens. It also shows the justification the workers and the establishment gave - that it was for "defence." The figure wearing the suit could represent the government, who were not directly impacted by the actions and experiments taken by Porton Down. See NMLH.2022.151 for further descriptive context about Sprague and Porton Down.
