The Collectors

Stan Summers was born in 1929 when the stock market crashed and Prohibition was in effect. He never saw a reason to collect breweriana that was older than him. Instead, he sought items created during the heyday of American brewery advertising–from the time of Repeal in 1933 through the 1960s.

The name “Haydock” has been synonymous with breweriana since that term was coined by author and collector Will Anderson in 1969. Helen Haydock, along with her late husband Herb, were the dynamic duo of breweriana (and notably mentioned in Anderson’s 1969 book). 

As a 12-year-old riding his bike through the woods, Randy Huetsch discovered an embossed bottle from the early 1900s. Intrigued that it carried the name of his tiny hometown, Waterloo, IL, Randy researched its origins and thus began his lifelong hobby as an expert and avid collector of antique advertising.

The Wm. Lemp Brewery of St. Louis was once an arch-rival of neighboring Anheuser-Busch before it was doomed by family tragedy and Prohibition. As a result, the once massive brewery became a footnote in history. But not for Joel Gandt.

Imagine an atmospheric speakeasy, richly paneled with oak the color of espresso. What if you could step back in time and enjoy a brew in a beautifully decorated space, resplendent with pre-Prohibition era lithographs, reverse-on-glass signs, and etched drinking glasses in a period setting? You don’t have to imagine any of this at David Birk’s beautiful home.

The moment you enter Don and Mary Ellen Roussin’s home, their passion for collecting breweriana and the years they’ve spent doing so are evident.

Every day is the early 1960s at John Friedmann’s house. His unique Mid-Century style house on the northwest side of Chicago was built in 1960 and is decorated with period furnishings from the same era.

Warmth, charm, hospitality and a vibrant display of vintage breweriana, Paul Cervenka’s wonderful “Bohemian Club” is home to all of those in a separate building he had constructed on his property. Paul’s fascination with breweriana is driven by both a sense of nostalgia and interest in history.

If it came from a historic brewery that once existed in Illinois—especially in or near Chicago—Dave Lendy likely has it. The lower level of his home is brimming with what many consider to be the finest and most extensive collection of Chicago-area breweriana, from the pre-Prohibition era through the 1960s.

Meisterbräu was the famed flagship brand of the Peter Hand Brewing Company, which, when it closed in 1978, was the last active brewery in Chicago at that time.

“Every town probably had a brewery at one point back in the day,” notes Matt Welch. And while he may not have an example of breweriana from every historic brewery, he does have an exceptional variety of attractive, vintage signs from across the country.

If the walls could talk, Mike Cunningham’s house would speak to his dedication to collecting. Like many collectors, Mike is interested in history and fascinated by how many different breweries once existed in the wide swath of cities across the country—some of which were only in business for a few years.

The breweries of yesteryear in Youngstown, Ohio produced highly memorable breweriana. You can discover some of the finest examples of that and more at Larry and Amy Moore’s home.

Beer is in Chip Echnoz’s blood. His family owned a small brewery in Meadville, Pennsylvania in the late 1800s and a prize in his collection is a bottle from that brewery, labeled with his last name. It took Chip 32 years to find the artifact he didn’t know existed, and which is believed to be the only existing example.

Tracy Wallace built an extraordinary collection of classic breweriana from Western Pennsylvania over many years. His wife didn’t want “beer stuff” on the walls of their home, so Tracy bought and restored a historic, early 1900s building to house what he calls his “museum.”

“I will find them all, eventually,” is what James Kaiser says about the vintage serving trays that were made to promote the Detroit breweries of yesteryear in local bars and taverns. Born and bred in Detroit, James has made greater strides in achieving this goal than anyone.

In 1972, Rich Yahr was given five etched beer glasses from the early 1900s. This formed the beginnings of one of the finest collections ever assembled of breweriana from his native eastern Wisconsin, an area where almost every small town once had its own local brewery.

It is not an exaggeration to describe Rick Basken’s monumental collection as truly “statuesque.” That’s because in just over 10 years, Rick has passionately put together a massive grouping of nearly 400 beer-branded back bar statues and figurines, representing historical breweries from across the country.

There are some outstanding collections which almost defy superlatives. Daryl Ziegler’s does not. Very simply, Daryl indisputably has the biggest and best collection of beer advertising trays in existence.

Like many teenage boys in the 1970s, Larry Handy was bitten by the beer can collecting craze. But for Larry, this was not a passing fad. Instead, Larry’s collection has become an inspiration for what dedication can accomplish.

Greg Evans has one word when it comes to why he collects breweriana: “preservation.” He has named his collection space “Evans Historic Corner Bar” – a fitting title for a place that features some of the most beautiful breweriana that was ever made for Philadelphia and its nearby breweries.

Chris Watt inherited his passion for breweriana from his father and uncle. His collection concentrates on brewery point-of-sale pieces from Reading, Philadelphia, and the Eastern Pennsylvania area, but the rarity and quality of these artifacts seems limitless.