Thursday’s ad is entitled Home Movies, and the illustration was done in 1948 by Stevan Dohanos. It’s #12 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, a group of people are settling in to watch some home movies, which is probably why they need the beer. This was people did before VHS tapes, not to mention the internet. But what’s with the green-skinned portrait hanging on the wall? Modern art or are they secretly an alien family?

Wednesday’s ad is entitled After a Day in the Snow, and the illustration was done in 1947 by John Gannam. It’s #11 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, a group of eleven people are crowded into a living room, all busy and doing something. Maybe it’s just me, but after a day in the snow I’d want to take a nap. They seem way too peppy. Must be the beer.

Monday’s ad is entitled Saturday Football Over the Radio, and the illustration was done in 1947 by Stevan Dohanos. It’s #9 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 shows a scene almost none of us alive can related to anymore. In the time before big screen televisions dominated the living room, a group of men are gathered around the radio to listen to the big football game. Having missed this generation by a few years, it’s funny to see them intently staring at the radio itself, as if the sound was visible somehow. It must be a sports-oriented household, with trophies on the mantle and an otherwise out-of-place pillow with a “P” on it, which suggests that’s the team they’re rooting for you.

Sunday’s ad is entitled The Boss Comes To Dinner, and the illustration was done in 1947 by John Falter. It’s #8 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 portrays another uncomfortable scene. A young couple entertains an older gentlemen who is presumably the boss of the younger man. They sit pretty far apart, each with a beer, while the wife sits demurely in between doing her knitting. Doesn’t that look like fun?

Saturday’s ad is entitled Horseshoe Pitching, and the illustration was done in 1947 by John Falter. It’s #7 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, the art is more stylized than in the previous ones. It’s also a product of its time. The menfolk are off in the yard on the side of the house playing horseshoes and drinking beer, while all of the women are on the front porch, undoubtedly gossiping. At least two are just watching the men play. I certainly remember how at family gatherings in the 1960s, when I was little, after a big meal like Thanksgiving, all of the men in my family would retreat to the living room to watch football, while all the women stayed behind to clean up. That would never happen in my house today.

Friday’s ad is entitled Picnic on a California Beach, and the illustration was done in 1947 by John Gannam (and here’s some of his other work). It’s #6 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, a group of people — I count 14 — are having an nighttime party on a California beach. It looks like a cool, windy evening and many of them are wearing overcoats, although they also seem to be wearing bathing suits, which suggests they’ve been there all day. It looks like reinforcements are arriving, with a cooler being carried in to keep the party going.

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.