Temperance posters
Explaining the dangers of booze, with science and Shakespeare
Alex Q. Arbuckle
c. 1912
The Temperance Movement, which advocated against excessive consumption of alcohol, first emerged in organized form in the early 19th century in England and the United States. Though it was initially concerned mostly with the moral effects of heavy consumption of spirits, as the movement grew it began to advocate more radical teetotalism — complete abstinence from any alcohol, and even its prohibition by law. Alcohol was curtailed in England by legislation in 1914, and ratification of the 18th Amendment in 1919 completely prohibited alcohol in the United States.In Canada, prohibition legislation was passed by individual provinces. These posters outlining the evils of drink were circulated in Alberta, which outlawed alcohol in 1916, but allowed it to be sold again in government stores after a plebiscite in 1923.Note: The veracity of the facts on these posters may be outdated and of questionable accuracy by today's standards.
