Trade Cards in The Fight Against AIDS

By Ginny A. Roth ~

World AIDS Day is an international observance held on December 1st each year and an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988. In 1996, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was in charge of the planning and promotion of World AIDS Day and remained so until 2004 when the World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization. United States presidential proclamations of World AIDS Day have been issued annually since 1995.

In 1991, using as inspiration the yellow ribbon (which were tied on trees to show support for the U.S. military fighting in the Gulf War), a group of artists came together to create a meaningful symbol at the height of the AIDS crisis to show support and compassion for those with AIDS. These artists were a part of the Visual AIDS Artists’ Caucus and they created “The Ribbon Project,” better known today as the Red Ribbon. The color red was chosen for its “connection to blood and the idea of passion—not only anger, but love…” President George W. Bush’s administration displayed a 28-foot AIDS ribbon on the White House’s North Portico on World AIDS Day 2007 and it is now a yearly tradition.

The image above is a trade card from the collection “AIDS Awareness: The Fight Against AIDS,” published in 1993 by the comic book company Eclipse Enterprises. The collection includes 110 trade cards, 78 of which the National Library of Medicine holds in its historical collections. Trade cards, although most commonly used for entertainment purposes, have also been used to educate segments of the population who may not be reached by more traditional means of communication. The AIDS Awareness cards feature prominent individuals affected by AIDS or who were involved in AIDS awareness, as well as activist-led organizations and topics on HIV/AIDS. On the front of each card is an original illustration of the person, organization, or representation of the topic of the card. Individuals include Steve Rubell, owner of the popular New York City nightclub, Studio 54; organizations include Act Up and People with AIDS Coalition (PWAC); and topics include Women and AIDS. On the back of each card is the individual’s biography or information on the topic or organization depicted on the front of the card. The AIDS Awareness cards were distributed in packs of 12, along with a condom. They were written by William Livingstone, Perry Gaskill, Althaea Yronwode, and Catherine Yronwode. The illustrations were done by Charles Hiscock and Greg Loudon. The cards were sold primarily through bookstores, comic book stores, and specialty stores, as well as directly to non-profit organizations that used them as an educational tool.

In recognition of World AIDS Day, we hope you enjoy this gallery of images from the “AIDS Awareness: The Fight Against AIDS” trade card collection.

Steve Rubell, owner of Studio 54, died of AIDS-related causes in 1989. Card #46

ACT UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), was founded in 1987. PWAC (the People with AIDS Coalition), was founded in 1985. Card #105

Women are, in many regions, at a much higher risk of HIV infection than men. Card #84

Belinda Mason, who contracted AIDS from contaminated blood, worked with AIDS advocacy groups. She died in 1991. Card #32

Keith Haring, a graffiti artist in New York City in the 1980s, died of AIDS-related complications in 1990. Card #21

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a national organization, raised funds in the 1980s through benefit performances, special events, and auctions. Card #107

Halston, a prominent American fashion designer, died of AIDS-related complications in 1990. Card #20

Craig Russell, one of the best-known and most successful female impersonators, died of AIDS-related complications in 1990. Card #47

Randy Shilts, best known for his book And the Band Played On about the AIDS epidemic, was the first openly homosexual reporter for a mainstream U.S. newspaper. Shilts was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1985 and died in 1994. Card #103

Jerry Smith, a former tight end with the Washington Redskins (1965-1977), was the first professional athlete to reveal publicly that he had AIDS. He died in 1986. Card #52

Roy Cohn, an aide to Senator Joseph McCarthy and a notable unethical lawyer, was a homosexual who joined efforts to expel gay men from their jobs. He was disbarred in 1986 and died of AIDS later that year. Card #10

Tina Chow, an AIDS-activist even before knowing she was HIV-positive, was diagnosed in 1989 and used holistic medicines for treatment rather than AZT. She died in 1992. Card #9

Sister Romana Marie Ryan contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion during surgery for a broken leg in 1983. Like many women in the 1980s, Ryan was misdiagnosed due to the stigma of AIDS being associated primarily with male homosexuals. It did not occur to doctors that a celibate nun could have contracted AIDS. She was diagnosed in 1985 and later died of AIDS-related pneumonia. Card #49

In the early days of the AIDS epidemic there were multiple theories on what exactly caused AIDS. The CDC said HIV was the sole cause of AIDS. Others theorized that since AIDS was a syndrome and not a specific disease that it was not necessarily biologically transmitted, but rather environmental factors and not a virus were the true causes of AIDS. Card #59

Ginny A. Roth is the Curator of Prints & Photographs in the History of Medicine Division at the National Library of Medicine.

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