1849 Nathaniel Currier Hand-Colored Lithograph,...

The Tree of Temperance. This is an original hand-colored lithograph titled The Tree of Temperance, published by the firm of Nathaniel Currier in 1849. The print serves as a symbolic allegory popular within the 19th-century American Temperance movement. It features a large, flourishing tree whose fruits are represented by circular roundels inscribed with various moral virtues and rewards of a temperate lifestyle, including Faith, Hope, Charity, Good Sense, A Happy Home, and A Peaceful End. The trunk and primary branches are labeled with foundational concepts: Health, Strength of Mind, Strength of Body, Prosperity, and Happiness. The base of the tree depicts a pastoral scene contrasting religious life, shown as a family walking toward a church on the left, with industrial productivity, shown...