Three Years in a Man-Trap by T.S. Arthur - 1872
Book Details
- Title: Three Years in a Man-Trap
- Author: T. S. Arthur
- Signed: No
- Publisher: Hubbard Brothers (Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Chicago, Springfield, Mass.); N. D. Thompson & Co. (St. Louis, Mo.); A. L. Bancroft & Co. (San Francisco, Cal.)
- Edition: Select Works of T. S. Arthur series
- Publication Year: 1872 (copyright by J. M. Stoddart & Co.)
- Binding: Publisher’s blue cloth with elaborate black stamped designs; gilt title panel on spine; brown coated endpapers
- Dust Jacket Condition: N/A (as issued)
- Condition: Good — moderate edge and corner wear; rubbing to boards; spine cloth worn with fraying at tips; hinges cracked but holding; pages age-toned with some scattered foxing; illustrated plates intact; owner’s name on front endpaper
- Illustrator/Editor/Preface: Illustrated throughout; includes Publisher’s Preface contextualizing the work as a sequel to Ten Nights in a Bar-Room
- Provenance: Ownership signature “Mary C. …” on front endpaper
- Rarity / Collectibility: Scarce 19th-century temperance novel, continuing the themes of Arthur’s widely influential Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. A strong example of temperance fiction with illustrated content, reflecting the cultural climate of the post-Civil War movement.
Description
Three Years in a Man-Trap (1872) by T. S. Arthur, author of the famous Ten Nights in a Bar-Room, is one of the author’s most powerful temperance novels. Published nearly twenty years after Ten Nights, this sequel continues Arthur’s mission to expose the destructive realities of liquor-selling and intemperance.
In this volume, Arthur moves the setting from the small-town tavern of Ten Nights to a bustling urban environment with thousands of saloons and dram-shops. He reveals the “deadly ulcer” of alcohol’s impact on city life, tracing the downfall of families, the ruin of men, and the broad social consequences of intemperance.
Illustrated with striking engravings, the book combines moral instruction with vivid storytelling, serving both as social critique and evangelical literature. It was widely read and circulated in its day, reinforcing the momentum of the temperance movement that would ultimately culminate in Prohibition.
A solid collectible for those interested in temperance history, 19th-century social reform literature, or precursors to modern addiction and recovery movements.
Condition Notes
- Blue cloth binding with elaborate black stamped design and gilt title panel on spine
- Wear to extremities; fraying at head and tail of spine
- Hinges cracked, though text block remains attached
- Pages age-toned, with some foxing and handling marks
- Ownership inscription on front endpaper
- Illustrated plates present and intact
Please review all photos for details of boards, spine, and interior pages.
