Even though there was little that medicine could do to control influenza in 1918, military physicians and nurses worked tirelessly, both in the United States and overseas, to care for the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who contracted the disease. (National Archives, 165-WW-269B-4)

Shipyard workers in Seattle line up to get a flu shot in November 1918. None of the various flu vaccines developed during the epidemic was truly effective, but the sense of public desperation was so strong that dozens of different experimental vaccines were administered. In Seattle, the authorities distributed 33,000 doses of the vaccine being administered in this picture. (National Archives, 165WW-269B-9)

In Detroit as in many other American communities, Red Cross volunteers were a vital part of the local response to the flu epidemic. The volunteers in this picture made regular runs around the city delivering supplies to home-bound influenza victims. (National Archives, Records of American Red Cross. RG 200, Box 637, Folder: 736.2 AH Detroit.)

Across the country, Red Cross volunteers made hundreds of thousands of gauze masks. Although the masks were not very effective, they were widely used—and in some communities they were legally required. Note that the Boston volunteers shown here took the precaution of wearing masks themselves while they worked. (National Archives, 165-WW-269B-26.)

While many nurses worked in military and civilian hospitals, others spent their time visiting flu patients at home. Making do with whatever facilities were available, these nurses frequently found themselves caring for several flu victims in one family, and sometimes helping out with housework and childcare as well. (National Archives, 165-WW-269B-5.)

In Seattle, one of the cities which required all its citizens to wear flu masks, a group of masked policemen prepare to go out on patrol. (National Archives, 165-WW269B-25.)

A streetcar conductor in Seattle refuses to let a man get on board because he is not wearing the required flu mask. (National Archives, 165-WW-269B-11.)

The 39th Regiment marches through Seattle, every soldier dutifully wearing his flu mask. (National Archives, 165-WW-269B-8.)

To cut down the spread of influenza, many public gatherings were shut down altogether. Other activities, like the San Francisco police court sessions shown here, were moved outdoors. (National Archives, 165-WW-269B-25.)

New York City residents thronging the streets to celebrate the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. Many scholars believe that gatherings like these helped bring on the third wave of the flu epidemic, which in many communities lasted into the winter of 1919. (National Archives, RG306-NT-1340-2.)