Tuesday’s ad is for Pabst, from 1947. It’s one of a series from around that time period that were all inside of a blue ribbon. I love the slogan at the bottom: “It’s Blended … It’s Splendid!” Also, check out the expression on the guy’s face as he’s about to bit into that fried chicken leg. Is it the beer he’s leering at, or could it be the gal in the tight red dress? Take a look. What do you think he’s looking at?
Monday’s ad is presumably supposed to be funny in that time when most women were housewives incapable of much else, and certainly putting up wallpaper was beyond their expertise. She has that “I guess I can’t do it” look on her face, but I’m sure the beer will make it all better. It’s from 1958. In my household the opposite is true. I’m all thumbs but my wife is the handy one.
Our 24th Guinness poster by John Gilroy features a slow turtle with the unusual slogan “Have a Guinness When You’re Tired.” Though I suppose the idea is that a Guinness will make a turtle faster.
They’ve also used the same image with the more common “Lovely day for a Guinness.”
Friday’s ad is the oldest piece of American breweriana known to exist. It was a poster created by Anheuser-Busch, who commissioned the original painting, Custer’s Last Fight, which was painted by Cassilly Adams in 1884. A lithograph was then prepared by F. Otto Becker in 1889. It was distributed as an advertising poster by Anheuser-Busch. It has since become one of the “most famous views of of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, referred by Indians as the Battle of Greasy Grass.”
Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Little Bighorn, which has become famous as Custer’s Last Stand. It began on June 25, 1876 and ended the following day.
According to one history website, Indian Wars — Wyoming Tales and Trails, “it is, however, best charitably described as fanciful. The Indians’ attire is in error; Custer’s hair is in error, he had it closely shorn before leaving Ft. Abraham Lincoln; he is wearing a red scarf; and, perhaps most importantly, the battle is being fought on the wrong side of the river.”
As possibly the very first piece of breweriana, an original will set you back a pretty penny, at least from $1,699 to $2,250. One of the eBay sellers includes the following information about the lithograph:
Measures approx. 32 ” X 42″across Great colored lithograph depicting the grisly battle between General Custer’s troops and Indian warriors at Little Big Horn. Custer is featured at center waving a saber and dressed in fringed buckskin. The remaining cavalry officers (except for his brother Tom) are dressed in military uniform. Indians are armed with scalping knives, tomahawks, clubs, spears and rifles. Dead of both parties appear in foreground, with several being identified in the bottom margin as Courier from Sitting Bull, Squaw Killing wounded, Rain In the face and the Sioux Warrior who killed Custer. Custer’s medals and banners are in lower left margin. Mounted Indian poses beside a monument in lower right margin. In the small margin directly under the picture it is marked Entered According To Act Of Congress By Adolphus Busch march 30th 1896 In The office of The Librarian Of Congress At Washington, D.C. In the lower center portion it is marked The Original Painting has been Presented to the Seventh Regiment U.S. Cavalry By Anheuser Busch Brewing Association, St. Louis, Mo. U.S.A.
Thursday’s ad is another old one that shows off the brewery with industrial glee. It’s for a British beer, Phipps’ from Northampton. They’re actually still in business under the name Phipps’ NBC (or Northampton Brewing Co.), having been revived in 2004. There’s a nice detailed history online, too. But it’s a beautiful poster, with both the brewery in the center and the surrounding scrolling, especially the hop vines. It’s like a rectangular coat of arms.
Wednesday’s ad is from 1935 and is for Rheinlander Beer from the Century Brewing Association of Seattle, Washington. 1935 was the last year under that name, the following year they changed it to Seattle Brewing & Malting Co. and later it was even Rheinlander Brewing off and on after 1965. I love the paean to industrial wonders and the giant bottle towering over the brewery. Just two years after Prohibition ended and the trucks are still streaming out of the brewery making deliveries. Life was good.
Tuesday’s ad is for Brasserie Nouvelle de Lutece in Paris, France, most likely from the 1950s or early 60s. According to Articles of Incorporation for AB InBev France, it may be at least partially owned by ABI, though I’ve seen references to the brewery possibly no longer being operated, too. Still, I love seeing such innocent ways of advertising beer, with cartoons and young women that would all but be forbidden in today’s America. She almost reminds me of a Little Red Riding Hood character, only her basket of goodies includes beer.
Monday’s ad is for an unknown beer, created by Paul Gusset in 1956. Since today is the summer solstice, the poster reminded me of summer itself. Happy summer.
Our 23rd Guinness poster by John Gilroy features the toucans in their nest, but instead of eggs there are two pints of Guinness and the “Guinness is good for you” slogan followed by a bad pun: Open some today and see What one or Toucan do.” Plus it looks like a father and son pair, and Father’s Day is tomorrow.
Friday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from 1954, with the slogan “Where hospitality is a fine art, It’s Ballantine Ale 4 to 1.” I love that they’re trying to position it as classy compared to lagers. Even the tagline at the bottom is priceless. “The light ale millions prefer to beer.” Lager is for the hoi polloi, ale is for connoisseurs. Nice.
