Barrel still bank c. 1920s

Editor: This charming object, the “Barrel Still Bank,” from the 1920s, appears to be crafted from wood and stoneware, attributed to the Bankers Thrift Corporation. It has a quaint feel, like something out of a rural general store. How should we interpret a bank shaped like this? Curator: The choice of a barrel form is particularly resonant when considering the cultural context of the 1920s. This was the Prohibition era, right? So, we have to ask, what does it mean to have a bank shaped like a liquor barrel? The symbolism becomes a lot richer if we analyze it this way. Editor: I didn't even think about Prohibition! Does the choice of barrel then, become subversive, perhaps critiquing the era's policies on alcohol? Curator: Exactly! Consider the tension: banks are about security, stability, sanctioned wealth, but here it takes the shape of an object tied to forbidden pleasure and the illicit economy. Is this maybe an acknowledgment of where true power and capital resided at the time? Were the "established" economies also benefitting from the Prohibition era? Is there irony there? What message was the Banker's Thrift Corporation intending to convey to its customer base by distributing banks that winked at law breaking? Editor: That is powerful. The object is inviting us to confront societal hypocrisies. Also, given its diminutive size and the modest materials, did ordinary working-class citizens use it? Curator: Most probably! What does it say that ordinary people had everyday interaction with an object which had the intention of saving, but took on a form suggestive of criminal activity? Editor: This has completely changed how I see it. It's not just a cute artifact anymore. Curator: Right? By placing the "Barrel Still Bank" into a critical historical and social frame, we're able to unpack a fascinating narrative about the past and its intersections with class, culture, and commerce.