Tuesday’s ad is from 1944 and features Miss Rheingold for that year, Jane House, emerging from a swimming pool. The curious thing is, she looks completely dry. Perhaps she’s one of those people who backs slowly into the water instead of just jumping right in.
Monday’s ad is from 1900 and is for a German beer, C. Becker. The bottom of the ad says simply: “C. Becker: Die schone bisei, which is “the beautiful ____” something, I’m not sure what the word “besei” means. Anyone know? The ad also features a poem, in German, that’s likely about the beer but it’s a little hard to decipher. But at the heart of it is a great illustration of a beer server from the old days in Germany.
This week’s work of art is by the English artist, John Henry Henshall, who painted The Public Bar, occasionally known as In The Pub, in 1883.
It’s a little unusual for the time, in that it shows the view from behind the bar, looking out at a cross-section of patrons. Also, notice the Bass sign hanging on the wall at the left.
You can read Henshall’s biography at Wikipedia, though it’s only a stub. You can also a few more of Henshall’s paintings at
Art Renewal Center and Painting Here.
Our 74th Guinness ad is a newer ad, and shows the iconic toucan as a dart heading straight for the bullseye. At least he managed to keep two pint glasses of Guinness balanced on his beak.
Friday’s ad brings our Miller High Life week to a close. I’m not sure when the ad is from, but it’s a safe bet it was at least when needlepoint was popular. Although if my memory serves me, I think this is actually crewel. My mother, grandmother and several aunts were addicted to sewing and assorted needlework crafts. Still, I actually think it’s kinda cool — in a retro geeky way — but again that’s probably because I was around so much of it when I was a kid.
Thursday’s ad is yet another one for Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottle Beer, this one from 1956. This one seems less about sophistication, and more about a return to a simpler, down home, country lifestyle. But it looks like a set, and nothing like an actual home. It just seems odd. “Aren’t we quaint, we’ve got an old iron stove.”
Wednesday’s ad is another one for Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottle Beer, from 1948. Again, the attempt is to make it appear more sophisticated, as it’s served on a silver tray, with a garnish of an orchid and a handsome looking bottle opener resting on the tray, too. With that presentation, how could one not enjoy life?
Tuesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottle Beer, but in a more down-to-earth setting: the bowling alley. I don’t know the age of the ad, but it feels Fifties. The ad copy claims the beer is “Sparkling … flavorful … distinctive.” Don’t they look like they’re having fun?
While I don’t put any stock in astrology, in 1980 Guinness put out a calendar with each month representing one of the zodiac signs, and I thought it would be fun to share these throughout the year.
Cancer, the crab, is from June 21-July 23. To learn more, see:
Monday’s ad is from 1948, and is for Miller High Life, which even then was being touted as the Champagne of Bottle Beer. It’s an obvious visual device to put the beer into a champagne bucket, but it works.
