Sparkling beer and refreshing coolness

In this exhibition, the Feld-Haus - Museum für populäre Druckgrafik presented a selection of historical advertising posters on the theme of "beer" from the collection of Cologne brewer Heinrich Becker. For centuries, beer was drunk almost exclusively where it was produced. Beer was a highly perishable product. It was not until the development of modern refrigeration technology that brewers were able to transport their products without loss of quality and sell them even far away. But while old customers knew that the beer brewed in their neighborhood was good, it first had to be made "palatable" to new consumers. Now the breweries discovered a new field for themselves: billboard advertising. Large-format, colorful posters drew the attention of passers-by in Dortmund to Bavarian beer and, in return, advertised Dortmund exports in Hamburg or Munich. Around 1900, advertising graphics reached a peak, especially in France and Germany. Renowned printmakers and painters designed original posters that still appeal to viewers today. The exhibition was part of an initiative of the Museumsnetzwerk Niederrhein.