Early 1900s i.w. Harper Whiskey Vitrolite Sign

Details

Description

Pre-Prohibition framed glass advertising sign manufactured by Vitrolite Sign / Meyercord Co. for The Bernheim Bros. Distillery of Louisville, Kentucky, … Read more Pre-Prohibition framed glass advertising sign manufactured by Vitrolite Sign / Meyercord Co. for The Bernheim Bros. Distillery of Louisville, Kentucky, advertising the company's I.W. Harper Bourbon Whiskey. Dating to the early 1900s, the sign is constructed of Vitrolite, a pigmented structural glass produced through high-temperature firing followed by a prolonged annealing process and flame polishing.

The detailed painted scene depicts the interior of a rustic hunting cabin with an open doorway leading into the woods. Hunting rifles, equipment, game, a dog, and a large mounted bearskin fill the scene, with the distinctive I.W. Harper acorn logo prominently displayed as part of the hunting trophy. The period slogan "Here's Happy Days" appears along the lower portion of the image. The original Vitrolite maker's mark is visible in the lower right corner.

The sign is housed in a substantial varnished wood frame with painted gold trim, complementing the rich colors of the advertising image. An uncommon surviving example of early 20th-century American whiskey advertising produced prior to Prohibition.

Overall: 21.5" W x 1" D x 27.5" H

MM - 6641 - 121523
LV - 6641 - 092226 See less