$25.00 CAD
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Set of 4 Prohibition-era US postcards that show how easily access to alcohol is in Canada.
These cards often referenced Canadian alcohol because it was legally produced and exported during U.S. Prohibition. “Canadian Rye” and “Canadian Beer” were symbols of indulgence and defiance, especially in border towns and among smugglers.
Unmarked, but likely produced by Metropolitan Post Card Co. of Everett, Massachusetts
GOING THROUGH THE RYE
Drunk going through bottles of rye, with feet propped up on a keg of Canadian Rye.
On back Series 624 Comics 12 designs
Staining along left border and lower border
WELL, HERE’S HOW! YOU TELLUM! I’M TOO HAPPY!
Man lying down on ground his mouth under the spout of a keg of Canadian Beer.
On back 868 Drunks 14 Des.
Some chips lower border. Red ink transfer on back.
THE COMMITTEE WAS ALL HERE TO WELCOME ME
Happy man being welcomed by 'committee' bottles of Canadian liquor.
On back Series 624 Comics 12 designs
Light stain on back
IF YOU WANT TO FIND ME, JUST FOLLOW THE ‘SWALLOWS’
Man drinking through bottles of gin and rye. leaving a trail of empty bottles behind him.
On back Series 624 Comics 12 designs
Staining along top border, stain lower left.
Prohibition grew out of the temperance movement, a long-running social and religious campaign—especially among evangelical Protestants—arguing that alcohol caused family violence, unemployment, and political corruption.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many states and communities had already enacted local bans.
The 18th Amendment (ratified January 16, 1919) banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages nationwide. Importantly, drinking alcohol itself was not illegal—only producing and distributing it.
Enforcement proved extremely difficult. Illegal production and distribution—bootlegging—exploded, along with thousands of underground bars known as speakeasies. Organized crime syndicates grew dramatically, using violence to control the black market. Corruption among police and public officials became widespread.
By the late 1920s, public opinion had shifted. Many Americans viewed Prohibition as unenforceable and counterproductive, fueling crime rather than reducing it. The 21st Amendment (ratified December 5, 1933) repealed the 18th Amendment, ending national Prohibition.
