Vintage Schltiz 1950s Beer Made Milwaukee Famous Plastic/Metal Hanging Sign

Description

Schlitz was the "the Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous" from 1858 to 1982 and one of the city's top-selling brands, with Blatz, Miller, Pabst and Gettelman. From forcing neighborhood saloon keepers to buy their beer (can you say local monopoly?) in the late 19th century, Schlitz, Miller, Budweiser, and other large-scale heritage brewers turned to a variety of advertising platforms, from magazine and newspaper advertising, building advertising, and display signs to radio, TV, and sponsorships of athletic teams. The hope was that a beer drinker would develop a preference and ask for Schlitz whenever he drank, or with enough advertising that the non-committed drinker would remember the most recent ad he saw and ask his barkeep or beer dispensary for the "Beer that made Milwaukee famous," sold by the metal bucket.
The large Schlitz logo toward the top is plastic on a metal backing. The remainder of the sign is plastic except for the Schlitz globe logo at the bottom, which is a brassy-looking metal.
There is a hairline crack that extends from the bottom logo to the edge of the sign -- looks like maybe it fell down at some point. Barely visible from the front. The sign measures 13 x 9.5 inches (33 x 24 cm). It has a metal chain hanger on the back along with a keyhole for hanging with a single nail. Both are still in good condition. The sign is obviously original.The term "Form 4-51" is on the bottom left of the front and is molded into the plastic on the back. No one can say for certain but there is a chance the sign dates back to 1951 or thereabouts. There certainly aren't very many of these around anymore. This is a classic piece of mid-century breweriana, one of the early examples of the use of plastic in beer advertising signs. Perfect for the Schlitz or heritage-beer collector, a classic man cave setting, or a splash of period advertising in a larger mid-century decor. Shipping is free in the U.S. Canadian and foreign buyers, contact us for shipping surcharge. Count on Agitprop Shoppe for all of your beer-related and other advertising collectible needs.
BC27601