#vintage document

[viewsofvintage]

Frank Najar sentenced to 1 year & $200 fine for “Liquor to an Indian” 1918

At this time, there was a prohibition in place specifically for Native Americans. While the law was amended several times, the main tenants were that bars couldn’t serve Native Americans liquor, liquor couldn’t be sold on reservations, and a loophole that allowed beer to be served to them. A loophole quickly discovered and used.

[atomic-flash]

Customs and Immigration form for those entering Earth’s planetary sphere -  July 1969

[viewsofvintage]

Indiana Death Certificates 1957-1958

[harlemdiaspora]

Passing (1928) by Nella Larsen. In the excerpt, an impulsive weekend invitation accentuates the curiosity associated with "passing" from one racial society into another.

Passing, published in 1928 and set in Harlem, is an important Harlem Renaissance novel.  Lesser known than many, Larsen is important not just for her contributions made to literature but also for her introspective analyses provided on the subjects of race and sexuality.  If interested in important women of the Harlem Renaissance, Larsen should not be passed up.

To learn more about Race and Sexuality in Passing (within a legal context) see this article by Corinne Blackmer published by the Columbia Law School.

See Passing's Wikipedia for summary, character information, and historical context.  To read the book online for free see the University of Connecticut Libraries page.

This image is from the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, Austin's Teaching the American 20s archive page.  View all images here.  This project is also interesting because it is formatted as a means of teaching the American 20s (including the Harlem Renaissance) through K-12.  Read more here.