Have you ever seen a death certificate?
This is Arnedd Garnett’s death certificate, one of over 700 Philadelphians who died of the Flu pandemic on October 12, 1918, at just 2 years old, he lived only a block from our warehouse on 41st St.
Spiral Q is working with British artist group, @blasttheory and the @muttermuseum on their upcoming Spit Spreads Death parade – a parade honoring those lost in the influenza pandemic; a parade in 1918 actually prompted the spread the disease as Philadelphians gathered on September 28th, 1918 for the Liberty Loan Parade.
Spiral Q is working with community groups to reflect and share about their own experiences with healing and health crisis and choosing one of 700 people who died of the flu in Philadelphia on October 12th 1918 by making a lantern; connecting with the details we can learn about each person through the historical document of their death.
You are invited to join the parade on Sat. September 28th at 5pm as we move up Broad Street from Marconi Plaza to City Hall (where the lanterns will be on display). Go to spitspreadsdeath.
pictured: Youth at Norris Square Neighborhood Project and the Karabots program at the Mutter read death certificates and make lanterns in Spiral Q workshops.