Prohibition Pictures Reveal Secrets of the Past

Additional Coverage:

From hidden speakeasies to daring bootleggers, Prohibition was a time of defiance and innovation. The nationwide ban on alcohol couldn’t stop Americans from drinking.

It simply forced the party underground, creating a thriving shadow economy where jazz, cocktails, and crime mingled. These vintage photos offer a glimpse into this transformative era, showcasing how Americans socialized and the lengths they’d go to for a drink.

  1. Hey, Who You Calling a Booze Hound? (Image)
  1. Last Call: Men Enjoying a Drink Before Prohibition, 1920 (Image)
  1. “Lumber” Truck, Liquor Contents: Police Raid, Los Angeles, 1926 (Image)
  1. Undercover Bust: Speakeasy Raid in Boston, 1920 (Image)
  1. Down the Drain: NYPD Dumps Illegal Booze, 1921 (Image)
  1. A Clever Loophole: Getting Wine During Prohibition (Image)
  1. Secret Stash: Female Rum-Runner, 1920 (Image)
  1. “Use a Little Wine”: July 4th Protest Float, 1921 (Image)
  1. Temperance Movement’s Bold Message, 1919 (Image)
  1. Paris Celebrates Prohibition’s End, 1933 (Image)
  1. New York City Bar on Repeal Night, December 1933 (Image)
  1. Protesters Demand Repeal, 1931 (Image)
  1. Flappers Flout Prohibition Laws, 1925 (Image)
  1. Bootleggers in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1921 (Image)
  1. Post-Prohibition: Flapper Serves Drinks (Image)
  1. Speakeasy Scene: Women Enjoying Drinks, 1920s (Image)
  1. “Machine Gun” Kelly Escorted to Court, 1933 (Image)
  1. Secret Still: Bootleggers Making Booze, 1930 (Image)
  1. First Legal Beer Delivery in Ohio, 1933 (Image)
  1. Stroh Brewery’s First Legal Pour, May 1933 (Image)
  1. The Morning After Repeal, 1933 (Image)
  1. Farewell to the 18th Amendment, December 1933 (Image)
  1. Flapper’s Hidden Flask (Image)
  1. Mocking the 18th Amendment, 1920s (Image)

Read More About This Story:

TRENDING NOW

LATEST LOCAL NEWS