With more nuanced flavours than a 'lager', IPAs / Pale Ales have definitely seen a surge in popularity over recent years, but their origins can actually be traced back to the early 20th century when Whitbread breweries, encouraged by a trend to lighter Pale Ales, introduced a new beer called IPA (India Pale Ale) to complement its existing Pale Ales. The IPA was the weakest of the bunch but the most heavily hopped.

 

This gorgeous advertising show card for the 'naturally matured' pale ale is likely to date to the 1920s and features a wonderful pictorial of the beer bottle with fantastic detail to it's label and paper wrap around the top. The showcard also has a lovely warm colour-way and bold typography that is highlighted by a punchy drop shadow. 

 

The lithographically printed show card was produced by Walter Johnson & Co. Ltd and has survived the years pretty well considering the vulnerability of the medium. It has lost it's lower right corner and does have some surface scratches, mottling and patches of discolouration but in my opinion this all adds to the character of the piece without impacting it's legibility. 

 

The showcard measures 68cm high x 53cm wide. 

 

S/N: #1345