Hannibal Home Beer Reverse-on-Glass Sign 1905

This is a Hannibal Home Brewery Reverse-on-Glass (ROG) Beer Sign, circa 1905. This pre-Prohibition sign is one-of-a-kind that exists today from Mark Twain’s boyhood home. At one time there were five breweries in Hannibal, MO including the Heil’s Home Brewery, The City Brewery and a couple other smaller breweries. Hannibal is expected to open a new microbrewery called the Mark Twain Brewery.

The “Reverse-on-Glass” (ROG) process used in this sign incorporated putting advertising on the backside of glass. The ROG items are considered hard to find and valuable due to the breakage of glass over the years. The paint could peel off of the backside of the glass due to moisture, heat, and many other factors. Many pre-Prohibition signs were ROG’s but the process was still popular in the 1930’s-1950s.

Related projects

Western Brewery Co. Wood Box, Western Brewing Co, Belleville, IL. Circa 1900 — Details

Western Brewery Beer Box, Belleville, IL. Griesedieck Bros Brewing. Circa 1900

Featured is a beautiful old wood or wooden beer brewing company box from the Griesedieck family-owned Western Brewing Company which was in Belleville, Illinois prior to prohibition. This box would have carried 24 bottles of beer in it and is the forerunner to the more modern cardboard boxes which started in earnest after prohibition ended…

J.G. Schemm Brewing Co. Serving Tray, Saginaw, MI. Circa 1900 — Details

J. G. Schemm Brewing Company Serving Tray, Saginaw, MI. Circa 1900

Here is a beautiful pre-prohibition serving tray from the JG Schemm Brewery which was based in Saginaw, Michigan. The colors on this tray are remarkable, and very representative of the Chas. Schonk tray manufacturing company out of Chicago, IL. The tray verbiage is rather simple, as it simply states “Pure Malt Beer”. I am sure…

Faust Ceramic Glazed Pottery stoneware stein. Anheuser-Busch. Circa 1910 — Details

Faust Pottery Beer Stein, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO. Circa 1910

Here is one of the series of Faust steins from Anheuser-Busch advertising their brand of beer called Faust. Faust comes from a German play called Dr. Faust, and the devil character is prominent in the play. The Faust family was intermarried into the Busch family, hence, the beer was named after that relationship with the…

Cerex Prohibition Drink Box, Star Beverage Co, Belleville, IL. Ca. 1920 — Details

Cerex Prohibition Drink Wooden Box, Star Beverage Co., Belleville, IL. Circa 1920

Here is a beautiful and rare wood box from the Star Beverage Company, formerly the Star Brewery which was based in Belleville, Illinois for many years, both pre and post prohibition. During the prohibition years, many breweries produced soft drinks, near beers, and other food products in order to keep their employees going and to…

Moerschel Springs Brewing Co. St. Charles, MO Lithograph. Circa 1905 — Details

Moerschel Springs Brewing Co. Lithograph, St. Charles, MO. Circa 1905-1910

Here is a beautiful lithograph featuring salt water fish with a nice advertisement from the Moerschel Springs Brewery which was in Saint Charles, MO. St. Charles is a western suburb of St. Louis. The Moerschel family also had a brewery in Jefferson City and Sedalia, MO also, making them one of the few MO brewing…

Wm. J. Lemp Brewing Co. Stoneware Stein, St. Louis, MO. Ca. 1900 — Details

WM. J. LEMP STONEWARE STEIN, ST. LOUIS, MO. Circa 1900

Pictured here is a beautiful stoneware beer stein from the William J. Lemp Brewing Company which was formerly based in Saint Louis, Missouri before prohibition. The Lemp brewery produced the famous brand of Falstaff which later was sold throughout the United States in many brewery locations. This particular stoneware stein has a pewter lid and…

F. Ruhstaller Brewery, Sacramento, CA. Gilt Edge Steam Beer, 1898 Calendar. — Details

THE FRANK RUHSTALLER ONCE RULED SACRAMENTO!

Here is a special 1898 dated calendar from the Frank Ruhstaller Brewing company whose brewery was one of the larger brewers in the West at one time. The Brewery was famous for their Gilt Edge Steam style beer. Of course they made other beers at that time too. This calendar is stunning with the colors…

Robert Portner Brewing Co., Serving Tray, Hofbrau Tivoli Beer, Alexandria, VA. Circa 1905 — Details

ROBERT PORTNER BREWING CO. SERVING TRAY, ALEXANDRIA, VA. Ca. 1905

Featured is a beautiful metal serving tray from the Robert Portner Brewery which was based in Alexandria, Virginia just outside Washington, D.C. prior to prohibition. Like many pre-prohibition trays, the Fortner brewery incorporated a beautiful scene of their massive brewery complex, but also snuck in a bottle of Hofbrau while advertising by name that brand…

Joseph Fallert Brewing Company tin Lager Beer Corner Sign, Brooklyn, N.Y. Ca. 1890. — Details

JOSEPH FALLERT BREWING CO, Tin Lager Beer Corner Sign. Brooklyn, N.Y. Circa 1890.

Here is a beautiful curved metal corner sign advertising lager beer from the Joseph Fallert Brewery which was in Brooklyn, New York just outside Manhattan in the late 1800’s and early 1900 era prior to prohibition. Pre-Pro corner signs are extremely rare, and one of the most desirable brewery advertising items for collectors today.