Tuesday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1956. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area. In this promotional photo, from August, the six finalists for Miss Rheingold 1957 are shown holding two frames, which was sent to media to use in potential stories about the contest. and asking “Which will you elect?” The original caption read:
Finalists In “Miss Rheingold Contest.” The lovely half dozen finalists in the 18th annual “Miss Rheingold” Contest make a beautiful picture, even without the frames, none of them will become “Miss Rheingold of 1957” in the election that begins on August 13 and runs through September 28. From left are Suzy Ruel, Riverside, California; Diane Baker, Hollywood, California; Kathleen Wallace, New York City; Tamie Conner, Meadville, Pennsylvania, now of Los Angeles, California; Margie McNally, Brooklyn, New York, and Beverly Christensen, Omaha, Nebraska, currently of Los Angeles.
And below is one instance of how the photograph was used in print.
