Cholera Humbug! The Arrival and Departure of the Cholera Morbus

Letterpress broadside ballad referring to the first outbreak of Asiatic cholera in Britain between 1831 and 1833. From its point of origin in Bengal, cholera had taken five years to travel across Europe and enter Britain, the first cases appearing in Sunderland in 1831. As cholera quickly spread down to London and throughout the UK doctors struggled to understand the causes of the disease and how to stop it spreading. Before this initial outbreak had run its course in 1833 it had claimed 52,000 British lives.
This ballad, published by Thomas Bird in 1833 was issued to commemorate the ending of this first outbreak.

Thomas Birt was one of several publishers based around the Seven Dials area of London who specialised in the printing of street literature, in particular execution broadsides and popular ballads.