What is a speakeasy door? A speakeasy is small window cut into an entry door at eye level, used for secure greeting of visitors (with the term originating during the Prohibition era
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933. During the 19th century, alcoholism, family violence, and saloon-based political corruption prompted prohibitionists, led …
What is a speakeasy grille?
This small door is hinged and latched from the interior side of the door. The speakeasies are available in four wrought iron grille designs. Each external wrought iron speakeasy grille design has been forged by artisans and is individually crafted by hand and will vary.
What is an example of a speakeasy location?
One example for a speakeasy location was the "21" Club in New York. This is one of the more famous of the speakeasies and operated until 2020. The "21" Club was only part of a series of businesses owned by Charlie Berns and Jack Kriendler.
Why are they called speakeasy bars?
To cater to the very large population of people who still wished to drink, hidden bars and nightclubs were established in cities across the country. The term speakeasy is thought to have come from the patrons having to whisper (or, speak “easy”) when attempting to enter the hidden bar. 2
Where did the phrase speak easy shop come from?
The similar phrase "speak easy shop", denoting a place where unlicensed liquor sales were made, appeared in a British naval memoir written in 1844.
What are rustic doors made of?
Rustic doors from Main Door are made from 100 percent real mahogany using no veneers, so they are exceptionally durable and feature beautiful, natural wood grain variations – no two doors are ever the same. And, each Rustic Door is made to order, so it’s easy to customize it to suit your needs and preferences. For example, we offer standard and custom-sized pre-hung and slab doors suitable to fit snugly in virtually any entryway. Plus, you’ll get to choose from many additional options, including a variety of: 1 Transom shapes 2 Door designs 3 Sidelite styles 4 Rustic glass options 5 Decorative hardware 6 And more
Does Main Door sell through Home Depot?
Main Door Corporation is proud to sell products exclusively through The Home Depot, allowing you to visit and see our door collections in person. If you’d like more information about having a rustic door installed on your residence, simply visit The Home Depot location closest to you, or contact us directly today.
Can you make a rustic door your own?
With so many design selections to choose from, it’s easy to make your rustic door your own. What’s more, Main Door even includes standard customizations, such as matching interior and exterior moldings and weather stripping, at an additional charge.
Speakeasy Grille Options
Most of our solid panel doors shown in this section may be ordered with our “speakeasy” option installed (see photo below). With this option, a small, operable rectangular door is installed in the upper door panel at a height of approximately 5’-6” (speakeasies are installed lower on the round top double doors).
Speakeasy Grille & Latch Color Options
Each external wrought iron speakeasy grille design has been forged by artisans and is individually crafted by hand and will vary. This variance is a feature of wrought iron and adds to the beauty and appearance of the wrought iron grille. The handmade wrought iron grilles are powder coated for durability.
Speakeasy Glass Options
Choose from eight different glass texture options to complement your wrought iron and hardwood entry door. All glass textures shown below are produced using a double IG (insulated glass) unit to provide safety, security, and energy efficiency. The capacity to see through the glass panel varies depending upon the glass texture chosen.
Peephole Viewer Option
Add a peephole to your solid entry door and get a 180 degree view of your outside perimeter. Available in 2 sizes to fit any thickness of GlassCraft’s entry doors.
Simulated Door Peg Option
Our 6 panel DoorCraft Mahogany doors are available with simulated door pegs for added rustic charm.
What is a speakeasy?
The term speakeasy is thought to have come from the patrons having to whisper (or, speak “easy”) when attempting to enter the hidden bar. 2. Free and low-cost alcoholism treatment is available. Here's how.
Where were speakeasies located?
Speakeasies were often located in underground dens or dark saloons that did not draw much attention from the outside. 1 During the time of Prohibition, it was illegal to sell alcoholic beverages in the U.S., so these establishments had to be inconspicuous. 1
How did speakeasies find their place in society during the time of Prohibition?
Speakeasies found their place in society during the time of Prohibition in the United States. From 1920 to 1933, the terms outlined in the 18 th Amendment made the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages illegal in the U.S., but that didn’t stop people from having drink s. 1 In fact, drinking alcohol wasn’t actually illegal. You could drink alcohol you already had in your home, for example. However, most people didn’t have a huge stash of liquor and had to seek it out other ways. To cater to the very large population of people who still wished to drink, hidden bars and nightclubs were established in cities across the country.
How many speakeasy clubs were there in the 1920s?
At the height of the speakeasy movement, there were hundreds of thousands of these clubs across the country. New York was said to have more than 30,000 of them by the end of the 1920s. While an actual count was impossible to make because of the covert nature of these underground establishments, the New York Historical Society states that the actual number may have been much higher (up to 100,000) than this estimate. 3
Why were speakeasies not advertised?
Because of the illegal distribution of alcohol in speakeasies, their locations were not advertised, and entry was hard to gain.
Is it hard to find speakeasies?
Modern-day speakeasies are often harder to find than your typical nightclub and may not maintain a website or local listing. Word of mouth continues to support the business of these figurative and sometimes literal underground clubs. They aim to exude the mysterious aura of the secretive hideouts that speakeasies once were and create a sense of rebellion.
Did speakeasies exist during prohibition?
The Smithsonian compares Prohibition-era speakeasies to modern-day bottle clubs where a liter of alcohol is exorbitantly priced. Most people simply couldn’t pay the inflated price of alcohol, and the numbers of people visiting speakeasies during Prohibition was likely much smaller than many believe. 7
Understanding the Prohibition Era
Most people's awareness of the Prohibition Era comes from watching old movies, or at least movies set during the 1920s. Mob films and other stories from this time were often centered around the shadowy fallout of Prohibition-era America.
Illegal Drinking and the Speakeasy
In a way, prohibition did yield some positive results. Drinking accidents and injuries in the workplace did decrease.
The End of Prohibition
The Prohibition Era lasted quite a long time. For over a decade, the federal and state governments of the United States attempted to enforce this practice of prohibition to the very best of their ability.
Speakeasy Doors for Your Home
If you're a lover of history, there are many good reasons to consider bringing some of that history to your own property. One way that some homeowners do this is to embrace some of the popular iconographies of the Prohibition Era.
Understanding Speakeasy History
If you're interested in installing one or more speakeasy doors in your home, then you'll want to get familiar with the history that surrounds these iconic frames.
What is a speakeasy door?
A speakeasy door is like a small trap door built into your door at eye level -- when someone comes knocking, you simply open it up for a sneak peek at whoever is outside. The size you choose to make yours is up to you, but these doors are typically less than 1 square foot in size. Advertisement.
How to open a tiny speakeasy door?
Drill a small hole into the side of the tiny door so that it can accommodate a door pull. Screw the door pull into place in the hole. You can now open the tiny speakeasy door, and the grille on the opposite side prevents intrusion from the outside. Reinstall your door into the door frame. Advertisement.
How to make a door with a hole?
Cut a small square or rectangular hole in the door -- approximately 9 square inches in size or less. Center it horizontally, and place it vertically where you marked your eye level. Sand down any rough edges on both the door and the piece that you cut out.
Do you need a gangster at a speakeasy door?
You don't need a gangster at your door for that "speakeasy" feel. Image Credit: Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images. Back in the days of Prohibition, speakeasy saloons kept hired goons by the door to bar entry from intruders. You may not have a goon at your disposal, but you can always install a speakeasy door in your front door, ...
What is a speakeasy?
A speakeasy has always been a place for people to buy alcohol without being noticed and without it being legal. The term started in Great Britain but spread to the United States. It was popularized during Prohibition when alcohol sales were banned all across the United States. While speakeasies hid themselves in multiple ways, they generally were found, shut down and reopened with a different mechanism to hide themselves. Among the places which had multiple speakeasies were Chicago and New York City. Some of those speakeasies are still open today as a bar and restaurant combination while other speakeasies open today are wholly creations of the present that sell the past for profit.
What is a modern day speakeasy?
A modern day speakeasy is generally either a bar that has been around since the 1920s and so is selling history, or a bar that resembles what is was like in the 1920s and so is selling nostalgia.
Why is it called a speakeasy?
It is called a speakeasy because one was supposed to speak softly to get in, which in turn would prevent the speaker from getting noticed.
Where were speakeasies found?
There were a large number of famous speakeasies throughout America. Some of the most famous establishments were in New York City and Chicago, but many tourist destinations had them as well. Of course, a truly successful speakeasy would never have been found by chance. Even recently, some 1920s speakeasies have been found when current restaurants or former ones were renovated and secret rooms were discovered.
What are some famous speakeasys in New York City?
Several famous places were New York City speakeasies. These included the 21 club, which existed until recently in the city as a bar and restaurant. It moved several times and became a place of the rich and wealthy to hang out. One adornment there, to show the wealth of the clientele, included lawn jockeys dressed in the colors of the stables of the patrons. Among patrons who came to the 21 club throughout the years were David Niven and John Huston. Another is the 300 club, which included scantily clad dancers and was on 54th street. A third was Landmark Tavern, which is still open. It was originally a tavern that had its business cut by Prohibition so it adapted by opening a speakeasy. After Prohibition ended, it returned to being a typical (well, for New York City) place, but it had been a speakeasy bar for a time. A fourth was Club Intime, and, as the name suggests, it was close to a house of prostitution and the clientele moved back and forth between the two, enjoying the women and the speakeasy liquors. These four are by no means the only speakeasies, as New York City had thousands, but are some of the better known ones.
Where were speakeasys found?
In 2007 secret underground rooms thought to have been a speakeasy were found by renovators on the grounds of the Cyber Cafe West in Binghamton, New York.
Why was cheap liquor used in speakeasies?
Cheap liquor was generally used because it was more profitable. In other cases, brand names were used to specify the liquor customers wanted. However, sometimes when brand names were used, some speakeasies cheated; they lied to their customers by giving them poor quality liquor instead of the higher-quality liquor the customer ordered. Prices were four to five dollars a bottle.
How did speakeasys affect culture?
Culture was also affected by speakeasies during Prohibition , and the speakeasy became a focal point. Films were restricted from depicting alcohol on screen, but some still continued to do so because they felt it showed the way Americans lived, such as the scene in Our Dancing Daughters in which Joan Crawford dances on a table in a speakeasy.
What was the name of the hotel that was used as a speakeasy during prohibition?
Inside the Mystery Room of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel which served as a speakeasy during Prohibition. Speakeasies, though illegal, were numerous and popular during the Prohibition years. Some were operated by people who were part of organized crime.
When did speakeasy bars become illegal?
Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States during the Prohibition era (1920–1933, longer in some states). During that time, the sale, manufacture, and transportation ( bootlegging) of alcoholic beverages was illegal throughout the United States. Speakeasies largely disappeared after Prohibition ended in 1933.
What does "speak softly shop" mean?
The phrase "speak softly shop", meaning a "smuggler's house", appeared in a British slang dictionary published in 1823. The similar phrase "speak easy shop", denoting a place where unlicensed liquor sales were made, appeared in a British naval memoir written in 1844. The precise term "speakeasy" dates from no later than 1837 when an article in ...
Who was the actress who opened speakeasies during prohibition?
Texas Guinan, a former screen and stage actress, opened many speakeasies during Prohibition such as the 300 Club and the El Fey. Guinan greeted customers with "Hey Suckers" and admitted she'd be nothing without Prohibition. Her two biggest competitors were Helen Morgan and Belle Livingston.
