Saturday’s ad is for Pelforth, The Pride of France, from the later 1960s. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. Pelforth is a French brewery founded in 1921 in Mons-en-Barœul by three Lillois brewers (though one sources says 1914). It was originally called Pelican, after a popular dance at the time, but changed its name to Pelforth after World War II. The name is a mash up of Pelican and “forte”, which means strong – and this is the style of beer they brew, including a blonde, brune and amber. Today, the brewery is owned by Heineken.

Thursday’s ad is for Hurra! Bier!, from 1937. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This was not part of the series of posters promoting beer by the German Brewers Association, the Swiss Brewery Association, and others, in the mid-20th century, but it seems to be in the same spirit of promoting beer generally. Many websites attribute it to French painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault, but he died in 1824, so it seems unlikely he created it nearly 100 years before the beer poster’s heyday, so it must have been someone else. The language appears to be German, so it likely wasn’t done in Géricault’s native country. It appears to have been made in Vienna, Austria by printmaker Paul Gerin, at least that appears on at least one copy of the print I found online. The small logo that’s visible above her left shoulder is for Gallery Otto, an Austrian art gallery that was founded in 1934, so the date at least makes sense. But there’s still no credible information about the artist who created the poster, which is a shame.

Because I couldn’t leave it there, I did finally discover that the original may have first appeared in the September 1937 issue of an Austrian magazine. The scan below is from that magazine, called simply “Wiener Magazine” (Viennese Magazine) which I found at ANNO – AustriaN Newspapers Online, described as “Historic Austrian newspapers and magazines online.” It appears to have been on page 100, which seems to be the back page of the magazine. Sadly, there’s still no information about the artist, but there is some satisfaction in possibly having found the origin of the art.

Friday’s ad is for Bière Du Fort-Carré, from around 1900. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Brasserie de Fort-Carré, in Saint-Dizier, France. It was founded in 1796. They were bought out in 1953, and the brewery was closed, although more recently a new company is bringing it back. This poster was created by Italian and French artist Leonetto Cappiello. It depicts French king Francis I in 1544 during a historical incident during a siege led by the Spanish and Bavarian troops of Spanish rival Charles V.

In later years, the poster was also used to create a sign for the brewery.

Sunday’s ad is for Bières La Semeuse, from 1900. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for possibly a brewery in Alsace region of France, maybe Strasbourg, but I’m not sure. La Semeuse means “The Sower” and was a “French pictorial allegory invented by Oscar Roty around 1887, presenting a young woman wearing a Phrygian cap sowing seeds at sunrise, and who has become over time one of the symbols of the French Republic,” of which this seems to be at least based on that.

Tuesday’s ad is for Biere Titan, from 1933-34, though some sources say it’s 1926. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Grandes Brasseries de Jarny et Uckange, which was located in the Moselle region of Eastern France. The company was created in 1926 by the merger of two breweries. The poster was created by Dutch artist Gabrielle Favre.

Sunday’s ad is for Bière Allary, from 1928. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Bière Allary, which I think was a beer brewed by the Brasserie Schneider in southern France. The poster was created by French artist Jean D’Ylen.

Thursday’s ad is for Bières de la Meuse, from 1896. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for Bières de la Meuse, a river that runs through much of France. It was the industrial center of France at one time, and in the mid-1800s boasted over 40 breweries. The poster was created by Swiss artist Marc-Auguste Bastard.

Wednesday’s ad is for Bière St. Nicolas de Port, from 1933. From the late 1800s until the 1940s, poster art really came into its own, and in Europe a lot of really cool posters, many of them for breweries, were produced. This poster is for the Bière St. Nicolas de Port, located in the Lorraine region of northeast France. The brewery was open until 1985, when the old brewery became what is known today as the Musée Francais de la Brasserie, or French Brewery Museum. The poster was created by French artist Marcellin Auzolle.