WHISKEY FLASK
Dated between 1870 and 1890, this knife edge oval whiskey flask is from a peculiar time in the history of alcohol consumption. In the late 19th century, the temperance movement was gaining steam. The Prohibition Party began in 1869, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in 1874, and the Anti-Saloon League in 1893. Alcohol addiction was medically recognized as a disease known as “dipsomania” around the same time. After years of anti-alcohol sentiments building, Prohibition went into effect in 1920.
