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Anti USA-prohibition poster

Image

Debate over the prohibition of alcohol remained one of New Zealand’s most contentious political issues in the 1920s. This pro-continuance poster, probably from 1925 or 1928, shows a New Zealand soldier kicking an old man representing Uncle Sam back across the sea from New Zealand to North America. It urges New Zealanders not to follow the United States in banning alcohol and claims prohibition there (in force since 1919) has caused more harm than good. The ‘Continuance Party’, well funded by the liquor trade, spent heavily on advertising material in the lead-up to national referendums, especially in the 1920s.

Credit

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-D-ALCOHOL-Continuance-1920s-01
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image

How to cite this page

Anti USA-prohibition poster, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/anti-usa-prohibition-poster, (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated