{"product_id":"frederick-lauer-lager-beer-monument-vintage-commemorative-poster-1885","title":"Frederick Lauer Lager Beer Monument Vintage Commemorative Poster, 1885","description":"\u003cp\u003eU.S. Art Co.’s 1885 commemorative lithograph \u003cem\u003ePresented to the city of Reading, Penn., by the National Brewers Association\u003c\/em\u003e places the sculpture of Frederick Lauer at the centre of an elaborate, almost theatrical design. Raised high on a pale pedestal, Lauer appears in warm golden-brown tones against a softly receding landscape of green hills, trees and pastel sky. The formal symmetry, arched border and carefully ordered inscriptions transform a record of a public monument into a statement of civic ceremony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe print commemorates the presentation of the sculpture to Reading, Pennsylvania, by the National Brewers Association. Lauer is remembered here as the first brewer of lager beer in America, and his elevation into a public figure reflects the place brewing held within the economic and cultural life of the late nineteenth-century city. During the Gilded Age, monuments and commemorative prints offered municipalities and professional organisations a visible language of prestige: local industry could be represented not merely as commerce, but as part of a community’s history and identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLauer stands in a dignified but relatively natural pose, holding a scroll in one hand while the other rests upon a cane. The details of his clothing—rows of buttons, lapels and softly modelled folds—give the figure a convincing physical presence. Rather than presenting the sculpture against an empty field, the designer has placed it before a broad, serene prospect. Darker foliage gathers around the lower edges, distant hills soften towards the horizon, and the sky shifts from pale blue to a warm peach tint near the land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis contrast between monument and landscape is central to the composition. The figure is rendered with crisp contours and a dense metallic warmth, while the setting is gentler and more diffuse, its clouds and vegetation described through gradual tonal transitions. The pedestal acts as a visual hinge between the two: solid, pale and geometrically ordered, it separates Lauer from the surrounding scenery while giving the upper figure additional height and authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTypography carries almost as much weight as the portrait itself. Beneath the statue, differently scaled and styled lettering announces that it was “Presented to the City of READING, PENN. by the NATIONAL BREWERS ASSOCIATION”, with the place and organisation given particular emphasis. The base identifies “FRED LAUER”, while the longer inscription names “FREDERICK LAUER, THE FIRST BREWER OF LAGER BEER IN AMERICA.” These shifts in letterform and scale establish a clear hierarchy: first the honoured man, then the recipient city, and finally the national body responsible for the presentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe lithograph belongs to a period in which printed images circulated civic events beyond the immediate audience gathered around a monument. Its function is both documentary and celebratory: it preserves the appearance of the sculpture, records the presentation and frames the occasion through ornament, colour and formal language. The bucolic backdrop does not overwhelm the historical information; instead, it lends the central figure the elevated calm more often associated with public memorial imagery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs a piece of nineteenth-century beverage history, the work is especially revealing for the seriousness with which brewing culture represented itself. The scroll, cane, pedestal and ceremonial inscriptions avoid the convivial imagery often associated with beer advertising. Here, brewing is presented through portraiture, monument and civic gratitude—a richly detailed record of how an industry chose to write one of its figures into the public landscape of Reading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649157235079,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649157267847,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649157300615,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649157333383,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649157366151,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed 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