Body of disinfecting van

Body of disinfecting van, sometimes referred to colloquially as a ‘bug van’, used to transport domestic material to be disinfected or destroyed, used during slum clearances and diseases outbreaks in the London borough of Lambeth, probably made c.1925-1935

Once seen on the streets of the London borough of Lambeth, this is the back body of a van that was used to transport domestic material to the local borough’s disinfecting station, which were then unloaded and put through a large steam disinfector. Alternatively, if possessions were deemed unsalvageable they would be taken for incineration. The zinc-lined interior of the van body meant it could be easily cleaned and sterilised before returning the newly disinfected items.

The van could be sent out to collect material from dwellings after disease outbreaks or because of pest infestations at the property. Although large scale epidemics were increasingly rare during the early 1900s, local outbreaks of diseases such as diphtheria, scarlet fever and measles still caused fatalities. Sometimes referred to as ‘bug vans’, such vehicles were also employed during slum clearances when the disinfecting of a family’s belongings could be required prior to them being moved into new council housing. Disinfection stations and the special vehicles associated them are indicative of the public health measures and networks of facilities adopted by many local governments from the to control the spread of diseases.