What's in the Barrel? – Wow Photo Wednesday

[between 1930 and 1940?] Three men stirring a barrel

Three men stirring a barrel
Three men stirring a barrel at a Gates Rubber Company picnic seems pretty innocent all on its own, but how innocent depends on when this photo was actually taken. 
We don’t actually know when Harry Rhoads took this picture. Based on contextual clues, our photo catalogers determined that this picture was snapped some time between 1930 and 1940. That matters because, as you might know, the Volstead Act (Prohibition) was repealed in 1933. 
So if the men of Gates Rubber were stirring up a barrel of “jungle juice,” “hooch,” or other impromptu alcoholic treat at a picnic after 1933, this picture does not depict a crime. If the photo is pre-1933, and the barrel contains alcohol, we’ve got a genuine crime scene photo on our hands. 
Regardless of when the photo was snapped, and what’s in the barrel, we sure hope these Gates Rubber employees thoroughly washed that piece of lumber before they started stirring. 
No matter what’s in your barrel, we hope all our customers have a happy, and safe, Memorial Day Weekend!
If you loved this photo and want to see more like it, check out our Digital Collections page. If you loved this photo so much you want a copy all to yourself, check out our Image Pricing page. 

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