Title / object name Poster, ’Make Health "Catching"!’
| Maker | Role | Date |
| Kee, Douglas | commercial artist | 1940 |
| E. V. Paul, Government Printer | printing firm | 1940 |
Medium Summary Offset lithograph on paper
Materials paper, printing ink
| Dimensions |
| Overall | 560 (Height) x 440 (Length) mm |
Classification posters
Technique offset lithography
Registration Number GH009886
Credit LinePurchased 2001
This poster was created to promote Health stamps, which the Post Office had introduced as Charity stamps in 1929 to raise funds for various health purposes. They were inspired by a suggestion made by Danish immigrant Kristine Nielsen. In 1926, she proposed that New Zealand introduce Christmas seals for charity purposes, like those sold in her homeland.
Design
The design of the poster is based on elements from two photographs of boys playing ball games. However, one of the photographs featured a boy with his hands cupped ready to catch a tennis ball - not the best way to catch a beach ball. The Post Office only caught the error when preparing the poster to promote the stamps. The resulting poster image, with its catchy title, therefore portrays the scene more realistically than the issued stamps.
Significance
Health stamps and their associated posters were the touchstone of public involvement with children's summer health camps in New Zealand. From the mid 1930s, Health stamps became a major source of funding for children's health camps. The release of new Health stamps every year made them popular with collectors in New Zealand and overseas.