Drinking was a big part of any holiday (for men anyway!) and features heavily in seaside postcards. In the early part of the 20th century there were hundreds of small breweries across the country and quality was variable. Many drinkers of the day preferred to stick with the beer they knew when away from home and that meant bottled beers. The main ones were Guinness Stout and Bass Pale Ale. Their labels are quite distinctive and make an appearance in many postcards. I don't think there was any such thing as sponsorship money from the breweries for the postcard illustrators though!
In this example they are an antidote to the salty herrings found at seaside holiday locations. McGill has produced two versions using the same design but different captions. These were published by Wilson Bros. in the XL Series.
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| XL Series No. 2104 and XL Series No. R 2104 |
I am guessing that the one numbered R.2104 is the later version. Does anyone know for certain or what 'R' stands for? My guess would be 'revised' or possibly 'reply'
The XL Series often added letters to the cards' number to indicate a difference. 'A' and 'V' as well as 'R' are used.
McGill had drawn a similar card for Joseph Asher & Co.
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| Joseph Asher & Co. No. A 248 (postmarked 1912) |
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