The American Issue, August 9, 1912.

The American Issue, August 9, 1912.

This is another example of how prohibitionists convinced readers that alcohol destroys families by fueling drinkers’ uncontrollable appetites. They took a brutally literal approach by showing fathers and husbands shoving their loved ones into pits of despair, all for their thirst for alcohol.

The image is terrifying seeing men sprinting toward a cliff, and dragging down anyone in their path. This stark visual made the comic horrifyingly effective at showcasing alcohol’s dangers to the public.

The title of the picture is "THE LURE OF APPETITE."

The scene of the picture is a cliffside with men rushing towards a angle with a banner with the text, "APPETITE FOR ALCOHOL." On the cliff men are jumping to their doom with their wives and children, or pushing them down with them in the ravine to their destruction.

The caption at the bottom states, "It demands a toll of life from the helpless innocents as well as from those it ensnares."

The American Issue (Westerville, Ohio)

Library of Congress.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL.

August 9, 1912

Under Public Domain.

PDF

English.

Newspaper Image with Text.

Library of Congress Control Number: sn2008060406

Newspaper Cartoon.

8.50 × 12.35 in