Thursday’s ad is again from 1955, and is for another Canadian beer, this time O’Keefe’s Extra Old Stock Ale. The ad seems a little bit busy to me, with too much going on. Besides the sepia tone-like maple syrup farm background, there’s the floating label, below the “A Canadian Favourite” tagline, and the cartoon syrup farmer in the bottom right-hand corner. Then the bottom slogan, “Say O’K for O’Keefe’s.”
Wednesday’s ad is also from 1955, and is for the Canadian beer, Molson Golden Ale. Their anthropomorphized mascot, — “Goldie” — a man with the head of a lion, says modestly that “Victory isn’t always to the strong.” Based on his expression, and the happy-looking woman next to him, I’d say he’s getting beat pretty bad at bowling.
This week’s work of art is a series of beer prints by Toronto, Canada, artist and illustrator Dave Murray. He’s completed seven beer prints so far, which he refers to as an “ongoing series based on beers I drink.” In addition, he’s done one more as a commission, entitled Stella Artois Légere. I’ve posted two of his prints below, and you can see the rest in the slideshow at the bottom. Click on the small square with the four arrows in the bottom right-hand corner to see them full screen.
PBR
Lowenbrau
Most of the works are available to purchase as a print. You can see all of his prints from the series in the slideshow below.
This week’s work of art is by the Canadian-born artist Ralston Crawford. He spent his childhood in Buffalo, and most of the rest of his life traveling and in America, which is reflected in his oeuvre. Today’s painting, Buffalo Grain Elevators, was completed in 1937 and today is part of the Smithsonian Institute’s American Art Museum and is a part of their Scenes of American Life collection.
The Scenes of American Life exhibition describes the painting like this:
The huge grain elevators lining the waterfront in Buffalo, New York, fascinated Crawford, who transformed bridges, factories, and other modern industrial structures into volumes and planes. Here he contrasts the massive cylinders of the elevators with the thin lines of the pitched roof in the foreground, the delicate rungs of a ladder, and a series of gently sloping wires.
There’s a biography of Crawford at Wikipedia and also at the Smithsonian Institute and the Hollis Taggert Galleries. You can also find links to more of Crawford’s art at the ArtCyclopedia.
Tuesday’s ad is for Canada’s Labatt’s 50 Ale, which was “Canada’s fastest growing ale because it has “spirit.” I’m not even sure what that means. Perhaps you get “spirit” by sailing? I’m not sure what this was done, it has a 1950s look and the illustration is great, I just don’t get the connection.
Tuesday’s holiday ad is for Molson from 1985. I chose a Molson ad because today would have been founder John Molson’s 247th birthday. The playful ad shows two horse-drawn sleighs, one of which, driven by a man, is hauling cases of beer and the other, presumably driven by a woman, remarking that “You can land on my roof anytime.”
Thursday’s holiday ad is for Carling Red Cap from the 1950s. On a wintery front door instead of a wreath is hung a very, very large red cap. Now that’s holiday spirit.
Wednesday’s holiday ad is for Molson Crown from 1958. Showing a holiday party in progress, the hostess is bringing in a tray full of Crown Lager Beer. I love the slogan “Have Fun … Down A Crown.” It’s so wonderfully cheesy. And from the looks of things, yes, “Everybody’s happy at the Molson Crown Club.”
This week’s work of art is by Canadian artist Alida and is a still life she did of several beer bottles while on a trip to a family cabin over a long weekend in September of this year. As she tells it. “I had good intentions of painting outdoors, but in my opinion it was too cold so instead I chose to do a still-life.” The painting has no title, so I’m calling it Still Life With Beer Bottles.
Originally from the Yukon, Alida now lives in British Columbia. She points out the bottle at the far left is Ice Fog IPA from my friends at Yukon Brewing, with “artwork by fantastic Yukon artist Emma Barr.”
For more about Alida, check out her blog Alida’s Art. She also has a blog featuring her photography, Alida’s FSJ Photos.
Thursday’s ad is for the Canadian beer Molson and is from 1985. It depicts an idyllic beach scene and features a bottle of Molson beer drawn into the sand between two beach blankets. The woman from the blue towel has walked over to the man on the yellow towel, saying. “Well, now that you’ve drawn my attention ….” At the bottom is the tagline, “Molson Makes It Golden.”
