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C. 1940-1955 Great Falls Select Painted Glass Sign

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:150.00 - 300.00 USD
C. 1940-1955 Great Falls Select Painted Glass Sign
Featured in this lot is this painted glass advertisement sign from Great Falls Brewing advertising Great Falls Select Fine Beer circa. 1940-1955. The first batch of Great Falls Select Beer was produced in the city of Great Falls, Montana, in the late 19th century. The Great Falls Brewing Company, which was established in 1890 and ran until 1968, was the company that first made the beer. Alcohol manufacturing and sales were prohibited in the United States from 1920 to 1933, which led to the closure of numerous breweries. Nonetheless, Great Falls Brewing Company was able to continue operating by creating malt beverages without alcohol as well as other goods. Great Falls Select Beer went back to its original recipe when Prohibition was repealed and remained a regional favorite. However, in the 1960s, the beer industry began to consolidate and many small regional breweries, including Great Falls Brewing Company, were forced to close. The sign shows an all glass construction with a piece of backing board on the back with foam protectors and a metal chain for hanging the sign. The front of the sign shows a reflective glass on the outside border with the center showing the advertisement with reverse painting on the glass. It shows a white background and a large red flag in the middle. In silver gilt it reads, "We Serve Great Falls Select Fine Beer" with "Fine" being in solid black lettering. "Great Falls Select" sits in the center of the red flag. In the bottom left hand corner of the sign it reads, "Great Falls Breweries, Inc., Great Falls, Montana" in small black lettering. The sign shows blemish marks on the outside border with the center being in very good condition with no paint chips. The sign shows overall good condition with no cracks or chips in the glass sign. The sign measures 10 1/8" L x 15 3/8" W.