This was created back in May, but it escaped my notice. April Kuhn created a cool poster for Drink Philly entitled The Philadelphia History of Beer. According to the website, “[w]hile it doesn’t cover everything that’s occurred in Philadelphia since its founding, it does cover a lot — and it shows why this truly is one of the world’s greatest spots for beer.” If you’d like one of the poster for your very own, they’re on sale online for $10 right now.
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This week’s work of art is by John Lewis Krimmel. He was born in Germany, but emigrated to the U.S. in 1809 to join his brother in Philadelphia. Instead of joining the family business, he took up painting and became well-known for his genre paintings depicting everyday life in the city of brotherly love. One of his most well-known paintings was “The Village Tavern,” painted between 1813-14.
The painting is also sometimes called “In An American Inn,” and just from searching around, it appears their may be more than one of them, as there seem to be various references to both that are very, very similar, but not quite exactly the same, with slightly different colors and with the size of what’s depicted more or less, as if Krimmel painted the exact same scene more than once.
Perhaps most curiously, apparently the painting was used by prohibitionists as propaganda. “The depiction of a mother and daughter trying to persuade the drunken father to come home has caused historians of the temperance movement to praise In an American Inn as the first work of an American artist to illustrate this issue.” But that interpretation does not seem obvious to me. Nothing in the woman or the child’s demeanor suggests to me that they’re trying to persuade the man of anything. And the man is raising his glass to her with a smile on his face. And nobody else around them seems particularly alarmed by them being there. In fact, many people in the tavern don’t seem to be paying them any mind whatsoever, as if their presence is not so unusual. It just looks an old-fashioned scene from the TV show Cheers, with several groups in the inn.
The Woodmere Art Museum has in its collection the “Study for ‘Village Tavern,’” oil on wood panel, also done in 1814.
And the Winterthur Library has two early drawings that would eventually become the painting, done in ink and ink wash over pencil.
They contain all the elements of the finished work, but you can see the artist trying out different placements for the characters in the painting.
You can read Krimmel’s biography at Wikipedia or at Terra. There are links to more Krimmel resources at the ArtCyclopedia. You can also see more of his work at the Art Renewal Center, Scholar’s Resource, the Philadelphia Academy and the American Gallery.
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Here’s a fun one. These are the kinds of press releases that help me get into the spirit of the holidays. The Percy Street Barbecue, a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in barbecue, also carries “over 60 varieties of canned beer” that they serve in custom galvanized steel buckets. Order 5 cans, and the 6th one is free.
For Christmas this year, they created an 8-foot tree made entirely of beer cans, over 400 in all. It “took General Manager Aric Ferrell and Desiree Howie, a staff member and local artist, over 12 hours to assemble.”
Now that’s the spirit. Who’s thirsty now.
(photos by Drea Rane.)
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Today is fellow beer writer Don Russell’s 56th birthday. Don writes a beer column for the Philadelphia Daily News under the nom de plume Joe Sixpack. He also writes a blog online, Beer Radar, and is one of the organizers of Philly Beer Week. His latest book, What the Hell Am I Drinking?, was just published and — dare I say it — would make a great Christmas gift. Better still, you can order a copy directly from the author. Don is a fellow Pennsylvanian, a crack card player, and one of my very favorite people to share a beer with. Join me in wishing Don a very happy birthday.
Don (center) with me and Lisa Morrison at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich during a press junket to Bavaria a few years ago.
Don, with fellow Pennsylvanians Lew Bryson and Jack Curtin at GABF.
Me and Don at the kick-off for the first Philly Beer Week in 2008.
Don with Pete Slosberg, signing books at GABF a couple of years ago.
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Today is fellow Pennsylvania beer writer Jack Curtin’s birthday. You can read his writings and rantings on a variety of subjects at his Liquid Diet Online, Curtin’s Corner, I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing and The Great Disconnect. If you think I don’t know when to stop, check out Jack’s voluminous output. Plus Jack is one of my favorite people to kvetch about politics with, over a pint, of course. Join me wishing Jack a very happy birthday.
Jack, at right, with fellow Pennsylvanians Don Russell (a.k.a. Joe Sixpack) and Lew Bryson. I’m originally from Pennsylvania, too. What is it about the Commonwealth and beer writers?
Jack and me at Nodding Head during last year’s Philly Beer Week..
Tomme Arthur and Jack.
Jack with Sam Calagione, Ed Friedland and Nodding Head’s assistant brewer.
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Today is the 40th birthday of Jennie Hatton, who does P.R. for Philly Beer Week and several craft breweries in the tri-state area. She cut her teeth working for Tom Peters at Monk’s cafe. Jennie and her business partner Claire Pelino are responsible for many, many beer books being published as literary agents to a number of beer writers, including yours truly. Also, Jennie is one of my favorite people in the industry and she’s so much fun to be around that people refer to her as “The Wonderful Jennie Hatton.” Also, few people love tater tots like I do, and she’s one of them. That’s enough for me. Join me in wishing Jennie a very happy birthday.
Jennie and me on the floor at GABF in 2008.
Jennie wielding the Hammer of Glory during this year’s Philly Beer Week.
Jennie and the Reverend Kirk T. Berlenbach, Rector of Saint Timothy’s Episcopal Church, at the Sam, Tomme & Old Beer event at Nodding Head Brewing during Philly Beer Week.
Jennie with some of the best tater tots ever, at North Lanes Lounge in Philly.
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For more of my past columns, see Brooks On Beer
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