The product for this show and tell is a gas mask from WWII. Gas masks like these were used by people all over Europe and in many other countries to protect them from poisonous gases or even dust and debris in the air from shells being dropped. However, the user of a gas mask is not protected from air toxins that the skin can absorb. Products like these were also limited; not everyone had one, so only those equipped were lucky enough to survive. Also, in the photo one can see that there is a filter at the end of the nozzle. This is what makes the air acceptable to breathe because it filters out all the chemicals and pollutants. The filter has a limited lifespan though, as it can become saturated with chemicals over time and needs to be exchanged with a new one. Especially when tear gas, cyanide, hydrogen chloride, and other fatal chemicals were rampant in WWII, gas masks were vital for survival. Even if you survived from the toxins you could be severely afflicted with nausea, blindness, respiratory damage, skin blisters, and seizures. It was very safe to have gas masks handy, just in case, so families and soldiers during this era could be prepared for the worst.
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