Monday’s ad is the companion to yesterday’s Beer In Art post, Gil Elvgren’s Shiner Texas Special. After Elvgren finished the artwork, Shiner marketing applied the text and logo in upper righthand corner. The result, I think, is a pretty great looking ad.
Today’s work of art is by the American pin-up artist Gil Elvgren known for his glamour illustrations and cheesecake paintings, though he also worked in advertising throughout his forty-year career. In 1953, he did this painting for the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. It was originally founded in 1909, today it’s owned by the Gambrinus Company in San Antonio.
The finished ad included the addition of the Shiner logo and was known as “Shiner Texas Special. You can see the final ad in tomorrow’s Beer in Ads series.
To learn more about Gil Elvgren, check out his biography on Wikipedia or on GilElvgren.com. The American Art Archives has more of his advertising illustrations and you can see more of his pin-up work at Elvgren Pinup, GilElvgren.com, the Great American Pin-Up and the Elvgren Concordance, which has over 500 of his pin-up works.
Our 107th Guinness ad is from 1934, showing a man drinking a Guinness leaning against the bridge. But the strength he received from drinking his Guinness was apparently enough to knock over the bridge. Now that’s a pretty impressive claim.
Friday’s ad is another turn of the last century ad, this one from the Federal Brewing Company of Brooklyn, New York. The ad is from 1905, though the brewery closed its doors two years later. It appears, though, that Federal Brewing may be resurrected soon as a new craft brewery.
Thursday’s ad is also an older one, most likely from the first decade of the 20th century, over 100 years ago. It’s for Hudson County Consumers Brewing, which I presume was located in New Jersey. Hudson County includes Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, Weehawken and others. It looks a tad grandiose to me. And is that a woman or a man in the costume, holding up the mug of beer?
Wednesday’s ad is from 1908, for a Philadelphia brewery by the name of Rieger & Gretz Brewers and Bottlers. I love the idyll setting with the well-to-do woman enjoying a beer on her estate. I can’t imagine most beer drinking was like that in 1908.
Tuesday’s Valentine’s Day ad is for Schafer Beer, specifically their Pale Dry, “the beer that’s both light and dry.” But “Love at first glass” is a great slogan, especially to tie in with Valentine’s Day.
Monday’s ad is another more recent ad, this one for the Brazilian behemoth Brahma. The cool mural drawing uses all the colors in the beer rainbow. It almost makes me want to drink the beer, but only almost.
Today’s work of art is by the Irish-born artist William Michael Harnett known for his Trompe-l’œil still life paintings.
As Laurien Gilbert explains:
William Harnett emigrated from Ireland to the US during the potato famine. Working as an engraver during the day, he took night classes at art schools in Philadelphia and New York…evidently to great effect! His still lifes fall under the heading of American Realism. While he did paint the obligatory musical instruments, tankards, and hanging game, it was his interest in the unusual (horseshoes, books, bills), and the trompe l’oeil precision of his renderings, that made him special.
This painting, Materials For A Leisure Hour, was painted in 1879 and today hangs in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. And how could the materials for an hour of leisure not include a bottle of beer and a tankard for your beer.
To learn more about Michael Harnett, check out his biography on Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Britannica. You can also see more of his works on Athenaeum
ArtCyclopedia and the Artchive and WikiMedia.
Our 106th Guinness ad is from the Illustrated London News, from late 1945, toward the end of World War II. Showing a sad-looking man in the desert, holding the lead to his camel, who’s piled high with boxes, barrels and luggage. I’m not 100% sure what’s going on in the ad. The camel looks like perhaps he’s refusing to give up the Guinness in one of the boxes on his back because he’s not tired yet. Maybe that’s why the hapless explorer looks so downtrodden. He is tired and he’s not getting an Guinness.
