Sunday 4 November 2018

Beer Street v Gin Lane


Health to the Barley Mow! 
Labour and Art upheld by thee
Successfully advance
We quaff thy balmy juice with glee 
And Water Leave to France 
(Beer Street, William Hogarth)

Gin and The Glorious Revolution



In 1688 Dutch Prince William of Orange became King of England and brought over Dutch drink "Genever", kicking off the Gin Craze of the early 1700s. By the time William Hogarth engraved the infamous "Gin Lane" in 1751 gin consumption was 18 pints per person per year....

Gin Lane

Great to see Hogarth's "Gin Lane" close up in all its debauched glory- fights, death 
and a drunken mother dropping her baby- hence gin's nickname  “Mother’s Ruin”!
A 1689 Parliamentary Act banned the import of French wine and spirits and
 led to a massive increase in gin production. Also I found out Hogarth's pet pug was called "Trump"!!