Bathtub Gin and Basement Stills
The Prohibition exhibit in Philadelphia often showcased bootlegging through educational and interactive exhibits. The signage explained that the Volstead Act allowed families to produce a limited amount of fruit beverages such as wine and cider in the house. However, individuals were not allowed to make distilled liquors. This is important because as a result, people already knew how to make alcohol in their home and continued doing so after Prohibition. It wasn’t long before stills began popping up in basements, apartments, and homes. There was a section of the exhibition which showed a farmer manufacturing large amounts of spirits from his home.
After the alcohol was manufactured, it was quickly transported through networks throughout the country. The map above from the exhibit shows how alcohol was brought in through Canada, on boats, and up through the Bahamas. The Coast Guard took action and expanded greatly during this time. Ultimately, the Coast Guard’s efforts to stop this smuggling became the most effective element of federal Prohibition enforcement.
In an effort to showcase the exertions made by the Coast Guard to stop illegal bootlegging and rum running, the Center made a custom two-player video game. It is complete with wooden boat wheels for authenticity. Here, the visitors can play and experience the role of the Coast Guard as they patrol the waters of Puget Sound off the coast of Washington state. In this part of the country, alcohol was often smuggled from just north in Canada. Though our focus in this class had been on the east coast of the country, Puget Sound was considered the real-life stage of restless races between coast guards and bootleggers, who were smuggling alcohol from British Columbia to Washington State.
As shown in the first photo, alcohol arriving by boat was often smuggled at the docks, and in broad daylight. The boat would pull up and one man would hold the line to the boat while another began loading the liquor into a car. A second car stood waiting for its load while a scout car waited at the back. Cars, specifically a car known as the “Whiskey 6” was considered a key innovation for bootleggers. These cars were usually Buicks or Studebakers and had been extensively modified to accommodate a bootlegger’s illegal liquor while it was being smuggled. A 1929 Buick Marquette is on display in the lobby of the exhibition.
Bootleggers had many other ways to smuggle alcohol, which the exhibition showcased. A common way of doing this was by hiding flasks in personal objects. For example, flasks were often hidden in objects such as a fake book with the center cut out. On other occasions flasks were simply disguised as everyday objects. On display at the exhibition is a camera flask, cigar case flask, and a cane with a hidden flask. What is often forgotten is how efficient and organized bootleggers were. Furthermore, this era and the people in it, including the bootleggers are often glamorized and yet bootleggers were part of a culture of corruption and hypocrisy.
After the alcohol was manufactured, it was quickly transported through networks throughout the country. The map above from the exhibit shows how alcohol was brought in through Canada, on boats, and up through the Bahamas. The Coast Guard took action and expanded greatly during this time. Ultimately, the Coast Guard’s efforts to stop this smuggling became the most effective element of federal Prohibition enforcement.
In an effort to showcase the exertions made by the Coast Guard to stop illegal bootlegging and rum running, the Center made a custom two-player video game. It is complete with wooden boat wheels for authenticity. Here, the visitors can play and experience the role of the Coast Guard as they patrol the waters of Puget Sound off the coast of Washington state. In this part of the country, alcohol was often smuggled from just north in Canada. Though our focus in this class had been on the east coast of the country, Puget Sound was considered the real-life stage of restless races between coast guards and bootleggers, who were smuggling alcohol from British Columbia to Washington State.
As shown in the first photo, alcohol arriving by boat was often smuggled at the docks, and in broad daylight. The boat would pull up and one man would hold the line to the boat while another began loading the liquor into a car. A second car stood waiting for its load while a scout car waited at the back. Cars, specifically a car known as the “Whiskey 6” was considered a key innovation for bootleggers. These cars were usually Buicks or Studebakers and had been extensively modified to accommodate a bootlegger’s illegal liquor while it was being smuggled. A 1929 Buick Marquette is on display in the lobby of the exhibition.
Bootleggers had many other ways to smuggle alcohol, which the exhibition showcased. A common way of doing this was by hiding flasks in personal objects. For example, flasks were often hidden in objects such as a fake book with the center cut out. On other occasions flasks were simply disguised as everyday objects. On display at the exhibition is a camera flask, cigar case flask, and a cane with a hidden flask. What is often forgotten is how efficient and organized bootleggers were. Furthermore, this era and the people in it, including the bootleggers are often glamorized and yet bootleggers were part of a culture of corruption and hypocrisy.