UNCLE SAM HELPED SELL GEO. BENZ & SONS WHISKEY BEFORE HE CHANGED HIS MIND! I love this self-framed Monogram Whiskey tin sign from the George Benz and Sons Whiskey Distillers and Jobbers in Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN. The image of Uncle Sam pouring himself a glass of whiskey makes me pause, when I think…
One of my favorite advertising items is this beautiful oak wood clock from the August Graf Distilling Company. This clock was found in a tavern in a small town of Albers, Illinois and had been there for over one hundred years. It was a giveaway intended for this distiller’s larger retailers at that time and was…
One of the more unusual and eye-catching figural advertising items you will run across were the brainchild of George Meredith, a laborer working at the KT&K pottery in East Liverpool, OH. The KT&K Pottery, better known as the Knowles, Taylor and Knowles Pottery produced unique whiteware pottery at a time when most potters were making…
One of my favorite advertising items are the beautifully decorated metal charger signs, which were commonly used by companies from the 1890-1920 time period. One of the biggest users of these chargers were breweries, however, collectors can find whiskey products, cigars, and other categories advertising on them at that time. The Daniel Aberle and Sons…
The town of Peoria, Illinois was at one time the largest whiskey producing city in the United States. There were many companies based in Peoria in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Originally started as the Clarke Bros. Whiskey Distillery and later called The Clarke Bros. & Company Distillery, the company claimed to be the largest…
The Red Raven Splits brand was very well known in the early 1900’s for their prolific use of advertising trays featuring a red raven bird on them, and the slogan, “Ask The Man” on most of the products advertising items. I don’t know exactly who “the man” was, but I am guessing it was the local…
One of my favorite serving pre-prohibition serving trays I have seen comes from the Americus Club Whiskey Brand. The Henry Campe and Company Americus Club Pure Whiskey was a popular seller in the pre-pro era in San Francisco, CA. The company was located at 221-223-225 Front Street at the time this tray was made, however,…
DIAMOND WEDDING WHISKEY SELF-FRAMED TIN SIGN, 1910 A beautiful Victorian woman is featured on this antique advertising tin sign for Sloman’s Diamond Wedding Pure Rye Whiskey, circa 1910. The whiskey was produced by August Baetzhold in Buffalo, New York. I think it’s interesting how many of the early distilleries and breweries highlighted beautiful woman in…
45th Annual Antique Bottle Show, St. Louis, MO, Sunday, March 15, 9am – 2pm Stop by the 45th Annual Antique Bottle and Jar Show this Sunday to see thousands of colorful antique glass and stoneware bottles. Over the past 20 years, I have found hundreds of historic bottles at this show which I’ve added to my…
Griesedieck’s “Old Scenter Rye” Whiskey Sign 1898 I recently acquired this unique Pre-Prohibition cardboard sign advertising a long forgotten whiskey brand called Old Scenter Rye. To my knowledge, this antique advertising sign is the first one of its kind known to exist. This particular whiskey was made by H.L. Griesedieck and Company, a distillery based…