The Bottle — Plate 2 | 1884 Temperance Advertising Print After George Cruikshank | Framed
Offered here is an original 1884 American temperance advertising print, Plate 2 from an eight-part series adapted from George Cruikshank’s celebrated 1847 temperance narrative, The Bottle.
The scene depicts the early deterioration of a once-respectable household following the introduction of alcohol into the home. Beneath the illustration appears the cautionary caption:
“The First Result of the Introduction of the Bottle. Laziness and craving for more liquor, to relieve the feeling of despondency produced by indulgence in drunkenness.”
The lower right of the image is marked:
“Copyrighted by M. Marques, 1884.”
More than 140 years after its publication, the piece survives as a striking artifact of the nineteenth-century temperance movement and the long history of American efforts to address the consequences of alcoholism.
George Cruikshank and The Bottle
British artist and caricaturist George Cruikshank originally published The Bottle in London in 1847.
Rather than presenting a single temperance image, Cruikshank constructed a narrative through eight sequential scenes, following the progressive destruction of a family after alcohol enters the household. The series moves from an initially comfortable domestic setting through dependence, financial hardship, neglect, violence, and ultimately tragedy.
Its dramatic visual storytelling made The Bottle one of the best-known pictorial works associated with the nineteenth-century temperance movement, and the series was subsequently reproduced and adapted in numerous forms in both Britain and America.
The present piece is Plate 2, representing an early stage in that progression. The father sits withdrawn beside the stove while the surrounding family scene begins to reflect the consequences of drinking.
Importantly, this is not an 1847 Cruikshank printing. It is a later American adaptation of Cruikshank’s composition, copyrighted by M. Marques in 1884.
An example of this M. Marques version of Plate 2 is preserved in the Harry T. Peters “America on Stone” Lithography Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, providing an important institutional reference for the image.
The Great American Tea Company Connection
The reverse makes this particular example especially interesting.
Rather than having been distributed simply as a decorative temperance print, this piece was used as an advertising premium by The Great American Tea Company, a nineteenth-century seller of teas, coffees, and related household products.
Across the reverse appears the prominent appeal:
“SET YOUR FAMILY A GOOD EXAMPLE”
followed by advertising for the company’s:
“Teas, Coffees & Baking Powder.”
Most importantly, the advertisement identifies the print as part of a larger set:
“This Set of (8) cards contains the Greatest TEMPERANCE LECTURE that has ever been delivered. Every one should procure it.”
Another notice explains that a complete set of the temperance cards would be given to purchasers meeting specified order amounts.
This advertising provides valuable context for how the piece was originally distributed. The Great American Tea Company was using the eight-part temperance narrative as a promotional premium, connecting its tea and coffee products with the nineteenth-century movement encouraging alternatives to intoxicating drink.
The result is an unusual crossover between temperance history, Victorian advertising, consumer culture, and the artwork of George Cruikshank.
From Temperance to Recovery
This piece also provides an interesting window into the history that preceded the modern recovery movement.
During the nineteenth century, alcoholism was addressed through temperance societies, religious organizations, reform movements, lectures, literature, and powerful visual narratives such as The Bottle. Images showing the consequences of drinking were widely used to communicate the perceived social and familial costs of alcohol.
This example appeared approximately half a century before the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, representing a very different era in the evolving history of how alcoholism was understood and addressed.
For collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery history, artifacts such as this help document the much longer historical landscape from which twentieth-century approaches to alcoholism and recovery eventually emerged.
Framed for Display
The original 1884 piece has been placed in a simple black frame, allowing the dramatic Plate 2 illustration to be displayed while preserving the historically significant advertising on the reverse.
The frame is included with the sale.
Because the reverse contains important Great American Tea Company advertising and identifies the piece as belonging to the eight-card temperance series, photographs of both sides are included with the listing.
Item Details
Title: The First Result of the Introduction of the Bottle
Series: The Bottle
Plate: Plate 2 of 8
Original Composition: George Cruikshank
Issue: Later American adaptation
Copyright: M. Marques
Year: 1884
Distributor/Advertiser: The Great American Tea Company
Format: Illustrated temperance advertising card / print
Subject: Temperance, alcoholism, social reform, advertising history
Presentation: Framed in black frame
Institutional Reference: A corresponding M. Marques example is held by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Condition
The original piece remains visually striking but shows significant age and wear consistent with its approximately 140-year history.
There is overall toning and discoloration, scattered staining and surface wear, along with edge tears, chips, and areas of paper loss. The upper-right corner has been clipped, and there are more noticeable losses along portions of the lower and right edges. The reverse shows old tape repairs and tape remnants from previous handling or mounting.
Despite these condition issues, the central illustration remains remarkably complete and presents well, with the principal figures and domestic scene clearly visible. The Plate 2 designation, M. Marques copyright information, and primary caption also remain present and legible.
The advertising on the reverse is substantially preserved and remains readable, including the important statement identifying this as part of the original eight-card temperance series distributed by The Great American Tea Company.
The piece has now been placed in a black frame for display and is offered exactly as shown.
Please review all photographs carefully for the exact condition of this historic piece.
