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PositionWHAT'S NEW? - "American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," exhibition

The National Constitution Center has brought back "American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," on view through July 16. The exhibition debuted in 2012 in Philadelphia, Pa., and has since toured nationally. 'We are thrilled to have this superb exhibit back from its national tour," says Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of NCC. " 'American Spirits' brings the U.S. Constitution to life. Visitors can educate themselves about the constitutional legacy of prohibition and how to amend the Constitution today."

The exhibit takes visitors back to the dawn of the temperance movement, through the Roaring Twenties, and to the unprecedented repeal of a constitutional amendment.

More than 100 artifacts are featured, including:

* A 1929 Buick Marquette. One of the bootleggers' key innovations was the Whiskey Six"--six-cylinder cars that rum runners would modify extensively to accommodate illegal cargo and evade authorities.

* A hatchet used by the famous saloon buster Carrie Nation.

* A telephone used by Roy Olmstead to operate his bootlegging empire. After leaving the Seattle police force, Olmstead became the most successful bootlegger in the Pacific Northwest. He also was the plaintiff in Olmstead v. United States, one of the most important Fourth Amendment cases to arise during Prohibition.

* Original ratification copies of the 18th and 21st Amendments.

* Al Capone's guilty verdict, which convicted the crime boss of not paying taxes on money earned from his illegal operations.

* Prohibition Bureau ID issued by the Department of Justice.

* Prohibition agent Eliot Ness' signed oath of office from 1926.

* Flapper dresses, cocktail couture, and other fashion...

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