Catalogue Number
NMLH.2021.151.5
Object Name
Poster
Title
Portfolio Collection - Ken Sprague Print "we're only obeying government orders."
People
Ken Sprague
Events
Porton Down experiments
Date
1969
Description
Large a2 silk screen-printed poster. White background, with black and brown illustrations. In the background there is a building in brown, with lots of brown smoke coming out of the chimney - this represents the Porton Down research station. In the foreground there are two figures who represent workers at the station- they are both wearing gas masks, protective clothing and gloves. There are in front of a table with different testing equipment like scissors and other pots. On top of the table there is a brown rat, the figure on the left is holding a syringe, as if they are about to inject the rat. Below the table, in black text it says "We're only obeying government orders." This is an example of the people who initiated these tests justifying their actions, by saying they are obeying government orders. It is also putting accountability onto the government and establishment, as Porton Down is a government military research facility. The use of rats throughout this portfolio comment on the animal testing which took place, but could be metaphor for the human experiments and testing as lab rat can also refer to a person or thing used as a subject for experiment. See NMLH.2022.151 for further descriptive context about Sprague and Porton Down.
