A R T I S T P R O J E C T
tHE GHOsts OF PAst EVENts
IN tHE HALL OF MIrrOrs
anna boGhiGUian
The heads of states met at the end of First World War to sign the Versailles
treaty in 1919 in the Palace’s Hall of Mirrors. This was at the time when
Europe was infected with the Spanish fl u pandemic that lasted until 1922.
US president Woodrow Wilson went to Versailles in the hopes of
getting approval for his 14 points. He was one of the “Big Four,” along
with the French. British, and Italian leaders. While in Paris, Wilson con-
tracted the Spanish fl u, from which he recovered. He was still frail and
exhausted by the time the Big Four signed the treaty. France and Britain
were allies and together they decided on the treatment of Germany and
the rest of the world.
Italy felt left out, and the extreme right took over, with Mussolini
coming to power in 1923. Germany was severely punished, and incurred
astronomical debts and territorial cuts that ultimately opened the way for
Hitler and the rise of Nazism, paving the way for the Second World War.
The preventive measures Europe took to curb the number of
infected people is not so different from today. The movement of citizens
was controlled through the radio. Wearing protective face masks and
distancing were obligatory. Work was organized in shifts, so that buses
and trams would not be crowded. A vaccine and antibiotics were the
means available to control the Spanish fl u.
The death rate caused by the Spanish fl u was higher than during
the Great War.
192
© 2022 arTMargins and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
https://doi.org/10.1162/artm_a_00305
all images © anna boghiguian
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