Look Magazine — June 26, 1945

“Case History of an Alcoholic” — A Landmark Early Feature on Alcoholics Anonymous

Scarce Complete Issue • Authentic Wartime Printing • Historically Important AA Documentation

This is an original June 26, 1945 issue of Look Magazine, containing one of the earliest and most culturally impactful mainstream articles ever published about Alcoholics Anonymous. In the decade following A.A.’s founding in 1935, very few national publications attempted to capture the reality of alcoholism or the emerging Fellowship. Look broke that barrier with its gripping, unposed, documentary-style feature:

“Case History of an Alcoholic”

The article follows “Joe,” an alcoholic from Minneapolis, and presents a raw, unfiltered photographic record of: The end of one of his destructive binges, The physical and emotional toll of alcoholism, His first contact with Alcoholics Anonymous, Early methods of AA support and sober companionship.

What makes this feature extraordinary—and historically invaluable—is the photojournalistic honesty. These are not staged studio photographs but candid, documentary images from 1945, capturing alcoholism and early recovery with a level of authenticity that was unprecedented in mainstream media.

The article also includes a brief 10-year history of AA, offering a contemporary perspective on the Fellowship at a time when it was still a new, grassroots movement just beginning to gain national attention.

For collectors of AA history, addiction scholarship, recovery archives, or mid-century cultural documentation, this issue represents a significant primary source, offering insights unavailable in later retellings.

Why This Issue Matters

One of the earliest national magazine features on Alcoholics Anonymous. Documentary photographs showing real early AA interaction. Historical context written in real time, only ten years after A.A.’s founding. Wartime printing, produced during material rationing—making surviving copies scarce. A poignant and culturally important snapshot of how Americans first learned about alcoholism as an illness and AA as a solution.

Complete examples of this wartime issue rarely surface in collectible condition due to the fragile paper and 1940s distribution methods.

Condition Overview

This copy survives in Very Good condition, impressive for a 1945 newsprint-style magazine. Light edge wear along the covers. Interior pages show expected, even age toning. No missing, loose, or torn pages — a complete and intact issue. Illustrations and photographs remain clear and well-preserved.

Please examine all photos for accuracy and full condition awareness.