Hogarth may have warned against the dangers of ‘mother’s ruin’ in his famous print, but a century later, in stark contrast, Hodge’s gin saved lives. This is the story of the, now undeservedly dusty, Victorian industrialist, gin distiller and fire hero: Captain Frederick Hodges. We tend now to take for granted the cosy security blanket… Continue reading Fred Hodge: Gin and the History of Fire