Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OLD STYLE PILSNER

Date Range From

1926

Date Range To

1928

Materials

GLASS, PAPER

No. Pieces

2

Height

23.3

Diameter

6.5

Description

2 LONG NECK AMBER BOTTLES WITH 2 LABELS: "PILSNER" NECK LABEL & "OLD STYLE PILSNER" "IN BOTTLES ONLY" & "HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE", "LETHBRIDGE BREWERIES LTD." MAIN LABEL. COLLAGE OF SCENES INCLUDING CAR, ABBEY & MONKS, TRAIN, STAGECOACH, NATIVES & TEEPEE. LABEL PERFORATED, PUNCHED "11/16/33".

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

MERCHANDISING T&E

Historical Association

INDUSTRY

History

DONOR FOUND IN GARAGE. SEE P19900020001-GA FOR HISTORY OF LETHBRIDGE BREWERY. THE OLD STYLE PILSNER LABEL WAS CONCEIVED BY FRITZ SICK’S DAUGHTER, LOUISE BLAIR (NEE SICK). THE LABEL WAS DESIGNED TO FEATURE OBJECTS SYMBOLIC TO THE BREWERY AND THE WEST: THE CONCORD STAGECOACH, THE PURPLE LABEL AIRPLANE, TRAINS (TRANSPORTATION), NATIVE LIFE, MONKS BREWING BEER, AND THE HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BEERS PRODUCED BY SICK’S BREWERIES. OLD STYLE PILSNER WAS TOUTED IN 1926 AS THE “PRE-WAR BEER – ANOTHER LETHBRIDGE TRIUMPH”. THE ADVERTISING CLAIMED THAT PREVIOUS TO WORLD WAR I THE MOST CELEBRATED AND FASTEST SELLING BEERS WERE MADE WITH A RICE BASE. SINCE THAT TIME, EITHER FROM LACK OF EXPERIENCE OR INDIFFERENCE, VERY FEW BREWERS HAD ATTEMPTED MAKING BEER IN THIS MANNER. HOWEVER, THE PROGRESSIVE HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE HAD PERFECTED A BREW WITH A RICE BASE -- THEY CALLED IT OLD STYLE PILSNER. 9 JULY 2014 UPDATE: IN 1928, FRITZ SICK’S BREWING EMPIRE GREW SUBSTANTIALLY AND WAS RE-BRANDED FROM “LETHBRIDGE BREWERIES LTD.” (NOTE: “BREWERIES” PLURAL) TO “ASSOCIATED BREWERIES OF CANADA, LIMITED”. THEREAFTER, LETHBRIDGE BREWERY LABELS BEGAN TO DISPLAY THE NAME “SICKS LETHBRIDGE BREWERY LTD.” (SINGULAR). THE USAGE OF THIS BREWERY IDENTIFIER REMAINED IN EFFECT RIGHT THROUGH INTO THE 1980S, INCLUDING UNDER MOLSONS. THE NAME “LETHBRIDGE BREWERIES LTD.” WAS IN CORPORATE USE BY THE BREWERY FROM MAY 1920 UNTIL APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 1928. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS PRE-1928 CORPORATELY MARKED LABEL WAS NOT USED UNTIL 1933 (REF. LABEL PUNCH) AS THE COMPANY WANTED, FIRST, TO EXHAUST ITS STOCK OF OLD “LETHBRIDGE BREWERIES LTD.” PILSNER LABELS. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE PUNCH MARKING IS NOT A REFERENCE TO THE BOTTLE'S DATE. WILLIAM HERBERT SCORESBY SKELTON WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON 6 APRIL 1920. HIS PARENTS WERE MARION SCORESBY SKELTON AND HERBERT SCORESBY SKELTON. EDUCATED LOCALLY, MR. SKELTON WORKED AT THE DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARM (NOW THE LETHBRIDGE RESEARCH CENTRE) FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A REPORTER WITH THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD IN 1943. AFTER FIVE YEARS AT THE NEWSPAPER, HE BECAME NEWS DIRECTOR AT RADIO STATION CJOC ON 15 FEBRUARY 1948. DURING HIS FIRST TWO YEARS AT THE RADIO STATION, MR. SKELTON WAS THE ONLY EMPLOYEE IN THE NEWS DEPARTMENT. MR. SKELTON ORGANIZED THE FIRST FULL-TIME NEWS DEPARTMENT AT THE RADIO STATION AND WAS NEWS DIRECTOR FOR THE JOINT RADIO – TELEVISION OPERATIONS OF SELKIRK COMMUNICATIONS IN LETHBRIDGE AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA. BY THE TIME OF HIS RETIREMENT IN APRIL 1978, CJOC HAD EIGHT EMPLOYEES IN THE NEWS DEPARTMENT. WILLIAM SKELTON MARRIED MARY THERESA FRANCIS IN SOUTHMINSTER UNITED CHURCH, LETHBRIDGE ON 3 AUGUST 1957. THE COUPLE DID NOT HAVE CHILDREN. DURING HIS LIFE MR. SKELTON WAS VERY ACTIVE AS A VOLUNTEER WITH MANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA BOY SCOUT COUNCIL, WINSTON CHURCHILL HIGH SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION, LETHBRIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, YWCA BUILDING FUND DRIVE, 1975 CANADA WINTER GAMES PROTOCOL COMMITTEE, LETHBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 1981 ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES, PUBLIC RELATIONS ADVISOR FOR THE SIR ALEXANDER GALT MUSEUM, A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE JAYCEES, SOUTHERN ALBERTA COUNCIL ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE LETHBRIDGE & DISTRICT UNITED WAY, AMONG OTHERS. HE ALSO VOLUNTEERED HIS SERVICES WITH LETHBRIDGE OVERTURE CONCERTS, THE ALBERTA MOTOR ASSOCIATION, LETHBRIDGE AND DISTRICT JAPANESE GARDEN SOCIETY AND THE LOCAL BRANCH OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AN INDEPENDENT CANADA. WILLIAM SKELTON DIED ON 13 JULY 1998, AGE 78, AND IS BURIED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY IN LETHBRIDGE. MARY THERESA SKELTON (NEE FRANCIS) WAS THE DAUGHTER OF DR. AND MRS. JAMES R. FRANCIS AND THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF REVEREND JAMES ROBERTSON D.D., A FORMER MODERATOR OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CANADA. A TEACHER AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE FROM 1945 UNTIL HER RETIREMENT, MARY SKELTON WAS ALSO ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. MRS. SKELTON WAS A MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN; THE SENIOR HIGH NOVELS, NON-FICTION AND DRAMA AD HOC CURRICULUM COMMITTEE OF ALBERTA EDUCATION; THE LETHBRIDGE SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATION; AND A DRIVER FOR LETHBRIDGE MEALS ON WHEELS. MRS. SKELTON WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE SIR ALEXANDER GALT MUSEUM DURING THE TIME OF THE MUSEUM’S FIRST RENOVATION AND EXPANSION IN 1983-1985. MARY SKELTON DIED ON 23 AUGUST 2000, AGE 80, AND IS BURIED BESIDE HER HUSBAND IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY. [SOURCES: THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, VARIOUS ISSUES; WHO’S WHO IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA 1988-1989 (HISTORICAL RESEARCH CENTRE, 1989) PAGES 739-740]

Catalogue Number

P19900007006

Acquisition Date

1990-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail