Thursday’s ad is entitled After The Wedding, and the illustration was done in 1947 by John Gannam (and here’s some of his other work). It’s #5 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, it appears the parents of a bride and groom (plus one more person, possibly the best man?) are relaxing with some beers after the wedding reception ended. One couple looks out the window, possibly watching the newlyweds drive away toward their honeymoon. They look like they’ll sleep soundly tonight.

Wednesday’s ad is entitled Backyard Barbecue, and the illustration was done in 1947 by Stevan Dohanos. It’s #4 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, four men and two women are in a backyard on what looks like a beautiful spring day. One of the men is grilling steaks on the ginormous stone barbecue while the two women toss the salad and butter buns. The other three guys are holding, choosing or drinking beer but not contributing to the meal, the lazy weasels. I keep thinking there must be two more women out of the scene, because in postwar American everyone traveled in pairs, at least in the typical advertising of the day.

Tuesday’s ad is entitled New Beau, and the illustration was done in 1947 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #3 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, an experience that no one really has to go through anymore is shown in all its awkward uncomfortableness. A man who presumably has a date with the girl sitting as far away from as she can on the sofa is being interrogated by her father, while Mom is carrying a tray of beers in with one for each of them. If you’re old enough to drink beer, I’m thinking you are probably too old to have to go through that. But why are they all smiling?

Monday’s ad is entitled Moving Day, and the illustration was done in 1946 by Stevan Dohanos. It’s a second #2 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. There are just a couple of these I know about, and I’m not sure why they duplicated the number. New ads were created roughly every month and were published in the popular monthly magazine of the time, so possibly they ran concurrently in magazines reaching different groups of people. In this ad, a family is moving. The house is nearly packed up (hopefully that painting is staying behind on the junk pile!) though I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the bird or the goldfish bowl. As the truck is undoubtedly nearly full, they’re thoughtfully rewarding the movers by pouring them glasses of beer.

Sunday’s ad is entitled Family Musicale, and the illustration was done in 1946 by Mead Schaeffer. It’s #2 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, at least four family members are performing — though it’s an odd combination of organ, violin, cello and harmonica — but it looks like a fifth is just arriving, case under his arm (with a possible sixth behind him), as the two apparently talentless men of the family watch. But at least they get to drink beer during the concert.