Monday’s ad is one I don’t know much about, but chose it because it’s National Pretzel Day. The French translates as something like “pretzel singer with beer and wine.” I’m not even sure it’s for a brewery, it seems like it may be for a bar or restaurant instead. It’s most likely from 1920s France.
This Friday is also the three-year anniversary of The Sessions, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday. When I created the logo for the Session, I used this Gangloff beer ad from 1930. I chose it for its simplicity and clean lines. I think it’s worked well, and so it made the obvious choice for today’s ad.
As far as I can tell, Brasserie Gangloff was an Alsatian brewery that closed in 1970. The only photo I could find of it was after it was bombed on July 16, 1943 during World War II.
Tuesday’s ad is by an artist named G. Foure, and that’s about as much as I know about him. The poster, Biere Titan, is for Grandes Brasserie Jarney and Uckange, a French brewery that was created in 1926 when
Brasseries de Pagny sur Moselle merged with Brasseries de Jarny. That means this ad was done some time after 1926. The Biere Titan certainly has a jolly amber giant look to him. I also love the feathery wisps of cloud-like head. Who’s thirsty now?
Friday’s ad is another old art poster from France. I don’t know the artist, the brewery or even the year is was created, though it was most likely in the first few decades of the last century. “Le Bon Bock” I presume is “the good beer” and Atlantique may be the brewery, or it may simply refer to beer along the Atlantic coast of France.
Tuesday’s ad is from France, most likely in the first few decades of the 20th century. Despite the fact that you can see there’s a signature on the poster, no source I can find identifies who the artist is. Similarly, I don’t know what brewery the poster is advertising for. The poster reminds me a bit of the old Coppertone ad where the dog is trying to pull off the little girl’s bathing suit. But in this case the damn dog is pulling on the waitress’ dress and spilling the beer! Bad dog!
Friday’s ad is French, and most likely was created at the beginning 20th century. It was painted by Leonetto Cappiello, an Italian illustrator considered to be the father of modern advertising.
From one biography:
Cappiello was self-taught, began as a caricaturist and escalated to the early 20th century’s most acclaimed European artist. Cleverly linking products with vivid, memorable images, he produced 1,000 imaginative posters for beverages, ballet, literature, plays, travel and music halls in four decades. Leading the Art Deco movement, Cappiello’s techniques are still vital to modern advertising.
I don’t know what brewery this was done for, but essentially it translates as “Beer of the Warbler.”
Today’s ad is an old classic, by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverage brands. This ad, known as Biere au Diable (Beer to the Devil) was done in 1912. I’ll undoubtedly feature more of his posters, but this is probably my favorite. I love the bright colors, the contrast and the simplicity of it. As they (you know who “they” are) say, “in heaven there is no beer.” If true, then this is where we must go to drink it. I’m not spending eternity without beer. I’ll meet you there.
The artist for today’s ad was born in the Alsace, in 1873, in what is today part of France. But two years before he was born, it belonged to the German Empire, who had annexed it after the Franco-Prussian War that began in 1870. Why is that relevant? Because Jean-Jacques Waltz, better known as “Hansi,” grew up hating the Germans and early in his career drew editorial cartoons poking fun at them. This won him few friends in Germany and in fact he even spent time in jail, “imprisoned several times by German authorities for making fun of the German military and professors.” In addition to putting down his captors, he wrote and drew scenes extolling Alsace’s virtues. One of his most famous works was a history of Alsace for kids by “Uncle Hansi,” L’Historie d’Alssace. The ad today features a girl in the traditional costume of the Alsace, and in fact it shows up in a number of Hansi’s works. I’m not sure if the illustration is advertising for a specific brewery of just beer from the Alsace generally. There is a brewery in Luttenbach (near the border between France in Germany in the Alsace) today known as Les Caves de la Brasserie. The date in the star, 1648, seems to suggest an older brewery, one that perhaps is no longer with us.
