Monday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon, from 1949. In the later 1940s, Pabst embarked on a series of ads with celebrity endorsements, photographing star actors, athletes, musicians and other famous people in their homes, enjoying Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. This one features Mr. and Mrs. Jascha Heifetz. He “was a Lithuanian born violinist, who is considered by many to be the greatest violinist of all time. Born in Wilno, Russian Empire (present-day Vilnius, Lithuania), he moved as a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz Kreisler, another leading violinist of the twentieth century, said on hearing Heifetz’s debut, “We might as well take our fiddles and break them across our knees.” He had a long and successful performing and recording career; after an injury to his right (bowing) arm, he focused on teaching.”
In the ad, he’s with his second wife, Frances Spielberger Spiegelberg, in their private studio. Along the only wall we can see bookshelves and a large bouquet of flowers. There’s also a stern-looking bust — is that Beethoven? — on one of the shelves. He’s holding a sheet of music and there’s a tray of Pabst bottles and glasses between them.
And while the ad below is clipped and not complete, it does show the picture a little more clearly with less aging discoloration.
