Carriers of the New Black Plague

“In effect, over more than half the world, Liberty is now in Totalitarian Eclipse.”

This provocative and satirical pictorial map was drawn by William Henry Cotton in 1938, serving as a powerful commentary on the totalitarian control of speech during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II. Originally featured in the inaugural issue of Ken Magazine, a short-lived anti-fascist publication, the map boldly addresses varying levels of governmental control over free speech worldwide.

Cotton’s map categorizes countries based on three distinct types of government control: Dictatorial Control of the Agencies of Public Communication, Varying Degrees of Control, Censorship, and Intimidation, and Relative Freedom from Official Supervision. Through a nuanced color scheme of black, gray, and yellow, the map vividly illustrates the extent of dictatorial influence and censorship prevalent in different regions Rising autocrats of the time included Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, and Josef Stalin, each named and shamed for their role in suppressing free expression.

Beneath the map, an instructive commentary critiques ten dictators, describing them as “little ‘strong men'” with brains collectively inferior to one Einstein, emphasizing the dire consequences of their totalitarian dominance. The map aligns with the overall anti-fascist stance of Ken Magazine, known for its unusual and powerful graphics, as well as contributions from notable figures like Ernest Hemingway, who wrote an anti-fascist manifesto in the magazine’s first issue.

Sources: Cornell University; Leventhal Map Collection at the Boston Public Library;