slate.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.66.133  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

/search

<form action="/search" class="search-form" data-via="search">
  <input id="search-input" name="q" placeholder="Search for" class="search-form__input">
  <button class="search-form__submit">
    <svg class="search-form__icon">
      <title>Submit search</title>
      <use xlink:href="/media/components/masthead/sprite.svg#search"></use>
    </svg>
  </button>
  <label for="search-input" class="search-form__label">
    <svg class="search-form__icon">
      <title>Enter query</title>
      <use xlink:href="/media/components/masthead/sprite.svg#search"></use>
    </svg>
  </label>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to the content
 * 
 * Sign In
 * Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content
   Account Sign out

Slate homepage
Submit search Enter query
Light Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content
Light Dark Auto
 * News & Politics
 * Culture
 * Technology
 * Business
 * Human Interest
 * Podcasts

Menu Open menu
Close menu
News & Politics Culture Technology Business Human Interest Podcasts Search
Light Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content
Light Dark Auto
Follow us
Slate on Instagram Slate on Twitter Slate on Facebook Slate on YouTube
Subscribe
Sign in Account Sign out
Slate homepage
Account

* Has Long Had a Penchant for Mischief
Follow Us Slate on Instagram Slate on Twitter Slate on Facebook Slate on YouTube
Advertisement

Advertisement


The Vault


SPEAKEASY CARDS: A PROHIBITION-ERA TICKET TO DRINK

By Rebecca Onion
April 02, 20133:20 PM

Tweet Share Share Comment
Tweet Share Share Comment

The Vault is Slate’s new history blog. Like us on Facebook; follow us on
Twitter @slatevault; find us on Tumblr. Find out more about what this space is
all about here.

These speakeasy cards, collected between 1920 and 1933, served as certificates
of membership and admission for illegal drinking establishments during
Prohibition. While bouncers at some speakeasies could recognize all of their
customers and other clubs used passwords, these cards were one more method of
identifying the person standing at the door as somebody who should be let
inside.

Advertisement


These cards represent clubs both famous and obscure. The card on the upper right
would have admitted a partygoer to the glamorous Stork Club in its second home,
which it moved into after it had been “raided out” of its first on West 58th
Street. The Stork would stay at this East 51st Street location for only three
years before moving up to East 53rd Street, where it would remain until its
closing in 1965.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


All of these cards are for establishments located on roughly the same latitude
in midtown Manhattan. In the Prohibition years, according to Irving L. Allen,
the blocks between 40th and 60th streets in Manhattan were rife with
speakeasies. Fun with Google Maps reveals that the buildings housing these
underground clubs now contain a variety of banks (Epicure), doctors’ offices
(Kean’s), synagogues (Tree Club), and businesses offering search engine
optimization and pest control (Club Entre Nous).

Advertisement


Previously on The Vault: Langston Hughes’ collection of cards advertising rent
parties in Harlem.



James I. Clarke speakeasy cards, 1920-1933. Division of Rare and Manuscript
Collections, Cornell University Library.


Tweet Share Share Comment
Advertisement


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Advertisement


ABOUT

 * About Us
 * Work With Us
 * Contact
 * Pitch Guidelines
 * Send Us Tips
 * Corrections
 * Commenting
 * Reprints

SUBSCRIPTIONS

 * Subscribe
 * Sign In
 * Account
 * Subscription FAQs
 * Podcast FAQs
 * Newsletters
 * Customer Support

ADVERTISING

 * Site Advertising
 * Podcast Advertising
 * AdChoices
 * Cookie Preferences

The Slate Group logo

Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company.

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube RSS Feed
 * User Agreement
 * Privacy Policy

All contents © 2023 The Slate Group LLC. All rights reserved.





WE USE COOKIES AND RELATED TECHNOLOGY

We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique
IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices
by clicking below or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO:

Store and/or access information on a device. Create a personalised ads profile.
Select basic ads. Select personalised ads. Measure ad performance. Apply market
research to generate audience insights. Develop and improve products. Precise
geolocation data, and identification through device scanning. Personalised ads
and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product
development. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept Reject All Show Purposes