In the opening plate of George Cruikshank’s The Drunkard’s Children, 1848, the ill-fated offspring are depicted in a gin palace.

Featured on PDR in the essay Liquid Bewitchment: Gin Drinking in England, 1700–1850

The introduction of gin to England was a delirious and deleterious affair, as tipplers reported a range of effects: loss of reason, frenzy, madness, joy, and death. With the help of prints by George Cruikshank, William Hogarth, and others, James Brown enters the architecture of intoxication — dram shops, gin halls, barbershops — exploring the spaces that catered to pleasure or evil, depending who you asked.

Other works by the artist in the archive…

The Drunkard’s Children (Plate 1)

Artist

Date

1848

From

The Drunkard’s Children


Underlying Rights

Public Domain Worldwide

Digital Rights

No Additional Rights


Image Size

1500 x 1148

 Download Image