What is the purpose of saloon doors?

Answer 1

I was recently wondering the same thing. Everything I've found on the subject has been admittedly speculative, but fairly reasonable. A few people have argued that saloon doors are entirely a Hollywood invention, but most people claim that they were in fact in use in the Old West.

One thing the movies don't show, apparently, is that saloons had a normal outer door that was locked after hours. When the saloon was open, the swinging doors accommodated the high traffic, and patrons with their hands full (with saddles and such) could pass in and out without running into each other -- like the interior doors you find in hospitals, or the kitchen doors in a restaurant. The doors were short because glass panes were expensive, and obviously would have broken frequently. Another thing that someone pointed out is that though these doors would not have done much to keep out dust and weather, they did allow smoke to ventilate out, in the bygone days when you could smoke in a bar.

Another advantage is that passers-by could hear and be enticed in by the music and merrymaking going on inside, while blocking the view and maintaining some privacy and propriety.

Again, none of this is authoritative, but is reasonable speculation.