Drinks, Drugs & Debauchery: A History of Seattle's Prohibition Era with Brad Holden

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum invites you to travel back in time with local historian Brad Holden as he tells the spectacular story of Seattle in the time of Prohibition. Have no fear, this trip into the era of strict liquor laws will be followed by appetizers and a beer and wine reception.

The second part of the series chronicles the fascinating life of one of Seattle's legendary figures in Seattle Mystic Alfred M. Hubbard: Inventor, Bootlegger and Psychedelic Pioneer. Seattle has a long tradition of being at the forefront of technological innovation. In 1919, an eager young inventor named Alfred M. Hubbard made his first newspaper appearance with the announcement of a perpetual motion machine that harnessed energy from Earth's atmosphere. From there, Hubbard transformed himself into a charlatan, bootlegger, radio pioneer, top-secret spy, millionaire and uranium entrepreneur. In 1953, after discovering the transformative effects of a little-known hallucinogenic compound, Hubbard would go on to become the Johnny Appleseed of LSD, introducing the psychedelic to many of the era's vanguards and an entire generation.

Brad Holden is an author, historian and finder of old things. When not searching for local historical artifacts, he enjoys writing about Seattle's past. His work has appeared in Pacific Northwest Magazine, and he is a contributor for historylink.org. Holden has been profiled in Seattle Magazine, Seattle Refined and various newspapers. His previous book, Seattle Prohibition: Bootleggers, Rumrunners & Graft in the Queen City, was released to much critical acclaim in 2019. He lives in Edmonds, Washington.