Making History Blog
11 Results found for: american spirits
Reset
Prohibition’s Legacy in Pennsylvania
This post has been adapted from an article featured in the Spring 2018 issue of Western Pennsylvania History. The Keystone State is known for having some of the strictest alcohol…
Who’s the Tom Tucker on your Mint Ginger Ale?
The current label of Tom Tucker Mint Ginger Ale, a staple of Western Pennsylvania pop drinkers. Courtesy of Brian Butko. Pittsburghers love quirky traditions, so when cruising the soda…
Pretzels and Prohibition: The Tangled Fate of the “German Biscuit”
“The Trap,” postcard, 1908. Pretzels and beer feature prominently in this image that portrays the negative views held by many people regarding patrons attracted to the saloon “free lunch.”…
In Vino Veritas: The Tradition of Winemaking in the Italian American Home
Mrs. Gallo, Lena Scalise, and Angelo Borelli process food to store for the winter, 1958. Courtesy of Elissa Scalise Powell. Like all immigrants, Italians brought their traditional methods of…
Of Beer and Taxes: Prohibition’s Connection to the National Income Tax
Income Tax Day, c. 1920. Citizens line up at an unidentified Revenue Office to pay their federal income taxes. Photo: National Photo Company. Courtesy of the Library of Congress,…
At the Shirtwaist Ball
This notice advertising the ball as “the Most Democratic Fete ever attempted in Pittsburgh” was quoted often in the event’s press coverage. Winifred Meek Morris Papers and Photographs, Detre…
Will You Sign the Pledge?: Francis Murphy and Pittsburgh’s Great Temperance Movement
It’s a January evening in Pittsburgh in 1877. Thirty churches across the city and surrounding suburbs are bursting with people. In some places, the crowds spill onto the streets…
Pittsburgh Gets a Tommy Gun, 1929
Sometimes an object becomes so associated with a certain era that it eventually symbolizes larger issues that shaped part of American history. For the 1920s, one such object was…
Curator Q&A: Leslie Przybylek and American Spirits
Meet Leslie Przybylek, lead curator for the new American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition exhibition, on display beginning Saturday, Feb. 10. Leslie has been hard at work bringing…
Consider the Can: Beer Can Appreciation Day
January 24 is National Beer Can Appreciation Day Looking for something to celebrate? How about singing the praises of National Beer Can Appreciation Day? Today is not just another generic…