Archive of British Beer Labels

[United Kingdom], 1950. Various sizes, (labels no larger than 9.5 x 8 cm.). A collection of over six hundred fifty unused full-color beer bottle labels from over fifty British breweries. There is some duplication, so not each label is unique within the collection. Labels are housed in forty-four Henri Wintermans’ Café Crème cigar tin boxes and arranged by brewer. Breweries represented in the collection include: Anvil, Charles Wells, Guinness, Holdens, J. Shipstone & Son, J.C. & R.H. Palmer, J.P. Simpkiss and Son, John Smith’s Tadcaster, Leith, Mackeson, Mann, Crossman & Paulin, Mansfield, Marstons, Matthew Brown, Miners Arms, Mitchell & Butler, Morland & Co., Morrell, Norwich, Okell, Paines, R.W. Randall, Ridley, Robinson, Ruddles, Sainsbury, Samuel Webster, Scottish & Newcastle, Shepard Neame, Taylor Walker, Tennent Caledonian, Tetley, Theakston, Thwaite, Timothy Taylor, Tollemache & Corbold, Tomson & Wotton, Traquair House, Truman Oldham, Tuborg, United Breweries, Vaux, W. Butler & Co, W.M Darley, Wadworth, Waitrose, Watney, Whitbread, Wilson, Yates & Jackson. Multiple beers from each brewery are included from India Pale Ales and diet beers to those created to honor royalty or for the commemoration of an event. About one-third of breweries in the United Kingdom date their first labels to the 1880s, when the machinery for bottled beer production was introduced. The majority of brewers in Great Britain left the bottling to individual shops, public houses and wholesalers. Most brewers established their own bottling stores in the early twentieth century, but Whitbread of London founded theirs in 1868. Many of the labels in this collection identify both brewer and bottler. A wide variety of design styles comprise the collection, from minimalist graphics to rich illustrations; most labels employ full-color or at least a multi-color palette. Some slight wear to cigar tins. Labels are primarily near fine.