Sloman’s Diamond Wedding Whiskey Tin Sign, 1910
A beautiful Victorian woman is featured on this antique advertising tin sign for Sloman’s Diamond Wedding 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 their advertising, apparently targeting the men who were the main liquor drinkers before prohibition.
Baetzhold’s Deer Run Whiskey Tin Sign, 1910
In this12-inch round self-framed tin sign. The woman is wearing a red long dress and she’s sipping a taste of the whiskey. The tin wall sign has a small gold chain to hang the sign from.The business owner, August Baetzhold had another version of this sign made with a similar shape and size but for his Deer Run Whiskey brand. Both signs were made by the Chas. Shonk Litho Company in Chicago, Illinois Circa 1910.
BAETZHOLD BRAND IN NEW YORK
August Baetzhold started his business in 1862 on Main Street in the Cold Spring area of Buffalo. Eventually when his business grew he moved to Ellicott Street just a few years later. He finally ended up at 567-571 Michigan Street at the corner of Cypress where they remained for the vast majority of the business’s life. The side of his building boldly states Mr. Baetzhold was a “Rectifier of Spirits” as you can see in the illustration shown here.
August Baetzhold Whiskey Factory in Buffalo, NY
Stoneware collectors can find many varieties of advertising pottery jugs in many styles including salt glaze and fire kilned jugs in many sizes. These jugs would have contained their whiskey brands including Deer Run, Gold Coin, Santa Fe and Sloman’s Diamond Wedding Pure Rye brands.
Baetzhold’s Diamond Wedding Pure Rye Sign
August Baetzhold also used serving trays including standard 12 inch versions and small 4 inch tip trays to advertise his products. Collectors can often find nice reverse-on-glass signs advertising the Old Diamond Wedding Pure Rye on them in both blue and red painted styles. It is fairly easy to date the age of this companies advertising items as the name changed three times over their 56 year history. The original name was August Baetzhold Company, then August Baetzhold & Sons, and eventually August Baetzhold Sons after their father died in 1911.
The beginning of Prohibition in 1919 ended the Baetzhold business in the height of their success.
