You Can't Ignore the Rat

Bold, urgent, and impossible to overlook, this historic public health poster warns citizens: “You Can’t Ignore the Rat.” Created to combat the spread of disease and protect food supplies, messaging like this was part of mid 20th-century campaigns to keep growing prairie communities clean and safe. The striking graphics and direct language of this poster, created in 1948, reflects a time when public awareness was crucial to stopping infestations before they took hold.

Both quirky and compelling, this print brings a slice of Edmonton’s (and Alberta’s) civic history to life, a reminder that sometimes the most ordinary creatures can demand extraordinary attention.