The Drunkard's Progress

Illustrations to promote anti-alcoholism were widely circulated as part of the temperance movements in the 19th century. They aimed to warn the population about the dangers posed by alcohol and addiction. Often, these images depicted scales or stages measuring the "degree of downfall", in this case ranging from "having a glass with a friend" on the left to "death by suicide" on the right. Strongholds of these movements were Britain, the US and Scandinavia.

The drunkard's progress: From the first glass to the grave, hand-coloured lithography, 32,4 cm  x 42cm, ca. 1846, artist: Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888); source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/91796265/, public domain.