Description
Beautiful Circa turn of the century Brewery Mug advertising Charles W Soulas / Betz - Building in Philadelphia. Check out that amazing script on this early mug. John Frederick Betz was born in Germany in 1831 & immigrated to America with his family as an infant & they settled in Schuylkill County, PA. As a young man, he was apprenticed at the Yuengling Brewery, which was owned by his brother-in-law. After having the opportunity to go to Germany & Austria to study under several master brewers, he returned to America & founded his own brewery in New York. The brewery was prosperous, but he eventually sold it & moved to Philadelphia. Betz & his son John Jr. ultimately controlled several breweries in the Pennsylvania & New Jersey area, & they amassed a fortune. Betz expanded his wealth by investing in real estate. in 1892 he constructed the Betz Building at the corner of Broad Street & Penn Square in Philadelphia. Charles W. Soulas, a Philadelphia restaurateur, opened the Raths-Keller upon completion of the new Betz Building. An article in 1894 provided the following description: "It is the most elaborate & artistically embellished establishment of its kind in the United States...Two sides are occupied respectively by a superb bar richly decorate with carvings, mirrors & all approved accessories...The leading feature, however, is found still below, where the medieval baronial hall of the Rathskeller is placed, every detail of which, mural paintings, elk horn chandeliers, richly embellished tankards, chairs & tables, suggest forcibly a tourist visit to the historic wine cellars of some ancient city of the Rhine..." Measures approx 5 1/2'' tall x 3 3/8'' wide x 5'' from front to back of the handle. RE PURPOSE / REUSE / UP CYCLE / LOVE / VINTAGE LIFE :) We just Love to pick for Antique Signs & have curated a whole Etsy shop section filled with them for you to enjoy below! https://www.etsy.com/shop/lloydstreasures Pre Prohibition Beer Stein Cahrles W Soulas Betz Brewery Building Philadelphia Advertising Stoneware Mug Antique Pottery Breweriana Cup
