A Piece of History

I picked up these four cocktail napkins at a tag sale. They are unique in many ways. They were hand embroidered and the statement dates the work having been done between 1920 and 1933 when the 18th Amendment was still in place.

 

The 18th Amendment established the prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the United States by declaring the production, transportation and sale of alcohol illegal. The Amendment did not ban the consumption or private possession of alcohol.

A separate act, the Volstead Act set down the methods for the enforcement of the 18th Amendment and defined which intoxicating liqueurs were prohibited and which were excluded (for religious or medical reasons).

The 18th Amendment was repealed on December 5 1933 by ratification of the 21st Amendment and the only time in United States history that a constitutional amendment was repealed in its entirety.

The napkins I purchased came from the home of a prominent local family. I guess they were still drinking throughout prohibition and making a statement while doing so!