1800s To The Prison Penny Dreadful Broadside Ballad Vinegar Valentine - Woodblock Engraving Comic Illustration Print - Hand Colored - Moral Social Commentary Poem - Who Enters Here Leaves Hope Behind

Antique Original 1800s To The Prison Penny Dreadful Broadside Ballad Vinegar Valentine - Woodblock Engraving Comic Illustration Print - Hand Colored - Moral Social Commentary Poem - Who Enters Here Leaves Hope Behind

The poem warns that a life of vice—specifically mentioning "rum," implying alcoholism, and "wine and women," suggesting debauchery—will lead to a dismal end in prison. The phrase "filthy dives, and gambling dens" reinforces the vices being criticized. This kind of material was often used as a form of didactic literature aimed at the working class, to instill values and warn against perceived moral failings.

The style of the image, with bold and simple colors, is evocative of broadside ballads or so-called "vinegar valentines," which were a form of comic illustration print that often contained a message meant to instruct or reprimand the viewer. The message here is clear: change your ways, or face a bleak future.

"THE ROAD YOU TRAVEL.
This is the road you will travel unless you mend your ways,
'Tis the prison that it leads to, and there you'll end your days.
From rum you have become a bum, and wine and women too,
And filthy dives, and gambling dens, have made a brute of you.
The prison gate is open, and awaits your dismal face,
And there you'll go to mope and die, unless you change your pace."

Measures Approx. 7" Wide by 9-5/8" Tall - Ready For Framing

In Good Antique Condition - Newsprint Type Paper With Edge Wear / Tears, Staining, Folds, Paper Chipping, Some Paper Toning Due To Age And History-Collectors Watermarked That Is Not On The Print

Product Photos Include a Logo Watermark and Possibly an Object for Scale / Photography Purposes Only. Also, Product Listings May Include Newspaper Images, Display Photos or Short Video Clips Relevant to the Item Which Are Not Included in the Purchase. The Product Title is for the Exact Item Available

What's a 1800's Penny Dreadful?
What's a Vinegar Valentine?
What's a Broadside Ballad?