December 2014 Volume IV Issue IV

Thirsty Knights
Standard
NEXT MEETING
Belle Notte North
Ristorante Italiano
98 Jackson Avenue
Syosset, New York
11791
(516) 364-2090
Inside this issue:
President’s
Message
1
Broadway
Breweries
2
Year end Show 8
-N-Tell
Chapter
Minutes
10
Vice-Presidents 11
Corner
Show-N-Tell
September
12
Show-N-Tell
Combined
Meeting
14
News Briefs
16
Volume IV Issue IV
December 2014
Happy Holidays
President’s Message
Page 2
Thirsty Knights Standard
Broadway/Steins Breweries, 1852 –1958
797 to 815 Broadway Buffalo, New York
Looking at a cross section of history can open a
window into the past as a whole
This article would be less accurate and
less complete without the grateful assistance of Dave Mik, Greater Buffalo’s unofficial brewery historian.
by John P.Eiss
way Streets. Whether he owned or rented the brewery
is unknown.
Most likely Buffalo’s first brewery was
established in 1824 on Niagara Street
and was operated by Kane, Peacock
and Relay
Albert Albecht 1856–1880
Overview
Buffalo was an ideal location for brewing beer
in the mid 1800’s with cold temperatures and plentiful
amounts of natural ice from Lake Erie. Several factors
combined to secure Buffalo’s position as a large brewing and malting center. First among them was a growing
population of beer loving German, Prussian, and Alsatian immigrants arriving by way of the Erie Canal.
Equally important was Buffalo’s role as the major transshipping port between the Great Lakes and the Erie
Canal. Buffalo became the country’s largest grain storage and shipping center, moving 25 million bushels in
1850 alone. Buffalo also had the world’s first automated
grain elevator. Brewing continued to flourish with
cheap and plentiful electricity for refrigeration and other operations from nearby Niagara Falls beginning
around the turn of the century.
Matthias Rohr 1852-1856
In the 1850’s Batavia Street (renamed Broadway in 1880) was one of the busiest commercial thoroughfares in Buffalo. It ran from the center of the city
eastbound 40 miles to the city of Batavia where the
Holland Land Company (1) offices were located. Early
records are not all in agreement but it appears Matthias
Rohr was the first to brew beer at Batavia and Shum-
It’s not certain when Albert Albrecht arrived
in Buffalo or when he started brewing beer. Many
brewers arrived from Europe with a vast knowledge
of brewing but little or no money. They would start
brewing locally in what
were called “Rent A Brewery” operations. When they
saved enough capital they
would build or buy their
own brewery. In any event,
in 1856 Albert Albrecht
decided to take advantage
of the growing market for
beer in Buffalo and he built
or purchased the brewery
on Batavia Street at the
corner of Shumway Street.
Albert Albrecht listed his
residence at the same location as the brewery. Not
much is known about the brewery during the time it
was owned and operated by Mr. Albrecht. It appears
the brewery enjoyed a steady local following as it
remained in business amid heavy competion and consisted of a substantial three-story brick building.
On November 30,1858 fire destroyed the
brewery. According to the Buffalo Currier newspaper
“The fire started in an adjoining stable and was carried by a high wind to the brewery proper. The building was a three-story brick structure and was totally
destroyed. Loss, $10,000: insurance, $4,000”. In
1859 Albert Albrecht moved his brewing operations
to a “Rent A Brewery” at Jefferson near Genesee
Street. In 1866 Albert moved back to Batavia and
Shumway after rebuilding his brewery.
After 1871 there is no record of Albert Albrecht brewing or living in Buffalo. It appears the
brewery operated as a “Rent A Brewery” until 1879.
Several brewers were listed during this period including George F. Lang and Henry Gottman 1868-1870,
John C. Holzer 1871-1873, George Reis 1877-1879
(2).
Volume IV Issue IV
Page 3
Broadway/Steins Breweries, 1852 –1958
797 to 815 Broadway Buffalo, New York
Julius Binz 1880–1887
In 1880 Julius Binz acquired the Albert
1889 Sanborn Insur-
by John P.Eiss
rebuilt with red brick and installed new machinery. The
main building was four stories and was considered to be
fireproof. The brewing kettle, mash turn, beer vaults,
engineer room and keg washhouse were on the first
floor. The second floor contained the malt mill and malted grain storage. The third and forth floor were used for
beer storage coolers and grain storage. The brewery now
employed 15 workers.
Broadway Brewing and Malting
In 1888 Buffalo brewers and malt producers had a net worth of 7.5 million
dollars and employed 900 workers
Company aka: Broadway Brewing
Co. 1887–1920
Albecht brewery business and property located on
Broadway between Shumway and Smith Streets.
According to the Buffalo City Directory, he resided at the brewery until at least 1887.
Julius Binz was born in Germany in 1847. At the
age of 20, he immigrated to the United States and
settled in Buffalo, New York. Binz became a successful businessman in areas other than brewing
and malting. He was considered a very wealthy
man by standards of that day and age.
In 1884 Binz built his malt house on the
brewery property. Julius Binz became better
In 1873 there were 33 breweries listed in
the city directory as operating in Buffalo.
The breweries produced 176,299 barrels
of beer and ale that year.
known as a malster than a brewer and was considered “to be
one of the best
authorities
on
raw materials”
for malting.
In 1886
Binz had the
entire brewery
Julius Binz organized a stock company called
the Broadway Brewing and Malting Co. in 1887 with a
capitalization of $200,000 (3). The brewery now had a
capacity of 15,000 barrels of beer and sold 13,250 in
1887-1888.
Binz retained sole ownership of the malting business.
His malt house had a reputation as one of the finest in
the city. The annual output reached three hundred thousand bushels by the 1890’s.
In 1890 natural gas was discovered on the
property and was subsequently used for heating and
lighting at the brewery. The brewery now had its own
stables with 20 teams of
horses.
By 1897 the
brewery was using refrigeration and ice making machines provided
by the Case Refrigeration Machine Co. in Buffalo, NY with a total
capacity of 100 tons. The
brewery officers were
Julius Binz, president,
Peter Vogt, vice-president, and Joseph Schattner, secretary, with George Baldus and Charles W. Belzer (5) as
the board of directors.
By 1903 the brewing capacity was 60,000 barrels of lager beer. Among the brands brewed were
“Imperial Beer”, Porter”, Export Beer” and “Standard
Lager Beer” In 1907 a two-story building was added at
the west end of the property. The front of the building
Page 4
Thirsty Knights Standard
Broadway/Steins Breweries, 1852 –1958
797 to 815 Broadway Buffalo, New York
was an office with a bottling works in the rear. The brewery now occupied the entire length of block from 797 to
815 Broadway. For a few years, beginning in 1898, a
small trolley line ran past the brewery on the Smith street
side.
Broadway Brewing was one of the first brewers
in the country to use micro filtering instead of pasteurization of their beer; only the empty beer bottles were sterilized. By 1913 the
malting operation
was discontinued
and a bottling operation was added in
the back of the office building.
Mohawk
Products
Company (4)
a.k.a. BroadSmith
Co.
Inc.
19201933
In
1920
the brewery closed
with the advent of
prohibition.
The
property was then
purchased in 1920 by Francis X. Schwab and William J.
Weigle, former President of the Iroquois Beverage Company. Schwab then merged the Broadway Brewery and the
Cooperative Brewing Company into the Mohawk Products
Company to make near-beer. It was rumored by nearby
residents that the brewery also produced bootleg beer.
In 1922, Schwab was elected Mayor of Buffalo and resigned from his position with Mohawk Products. During
his two terms as Mayor he was strongly opposed to prohibition. It is well known that Buffalo was one of the more
wide open cities for alcohol consumption during his two
mayoral terms.
One of the more famous bootlegging cases in the
area involved Francis X. Schwab being accused of producing alcohol in violation of the Volstead Act. Schwab was
prosecuted and convicted by Wm. J. Donovan, United
States Attorney for the Western District of New York.
Donovan would later be appointed head of the O.S.S. during World War II (predecessor of the C.I.A.). Schwab was
fined in the case but never paid it.
by John P.Eiss
In the mid twenties a portion of the brewery
was donated to the city to improve access to Smith
Street.
Broadway Blending Company 1928
-1933
George
F.
Stein
purchased
the
brewery property in 1928.
He began operation as the
Broadway
Blending
Company that
same
year.
The Company
produced concentrated and
liquid
malt
products for
bakeries. Stein
was from Medina, NY and
operated
a
brewery
in
Medina from
1904
until
1919.
Just prior to New Year Day, 1930, a federal
raid on the Stein’s Hotel in Orchard Park, NY netted
an unknown quantity of liquor. Many believed
George F. Stein was involved, but in reality he had
no connection to the Stein’s hotel.
Broadway Brewing Company 1933
Volume IV Issue IV
Page 5
Broadway/Steins Breweries, 1852 –1958
797 to 815 Broadway Buffalo, New York
by John P.Eiss
–1934
With the end of prohibition in 1933 Stein
reopened the Broadway Brewing Company and began
brewing beer in July. $750,000 was invested to update
the plant and equipment. After prohibition ended, the
Federal Government re-
quired all brewers to operate with a federal permit at
a cost of $1000, and they placed a $5.00 tax on every barrel of beer produced. Before prohibition a permit was not required, and each barrel of beer was
taxed at $1.00. George F. Stein’s Breweries Internal
Revenue license was D-41 and the New York State
tax permit number was NY-U-249.
Page 6
Thirsty Knights Standard
Broadway/Steins Breweries, 1852 –1958
797 to 815 Broadway Buffalo, New York
George F. Stein Brewery, Inc. 19341958
In 1934 Stein changed the brewery name to the
George F. Stein Brewery, Inc. The License and permit
numbers remained the same. In 1936 the brewery had 32
union employees including eleven brewers, eight bottlers,
by John P.Eiss
seven drivers, four engineers and two maintenance
workers. The workers were all members of the Brewery Workers Union, Local 4. The Brewmaster was I.
F. Wismer. There was also an additional staff of office workers and salesmen. George F. Stein died in
1938 and was succeeded by his son Joseph Stein.
Some of their brands were “Canadian Brand
Cream Ale, “Stein’s Light Ale”, “Stein’s Pilsner
Beer”, “Canandaigua Extra Dry Beer” and
“Canandaigua Light Ale”. The Canandaigua brand
was taken over from the defunct Cataract Brewery in
Rochester NY. The brewery also brewed “McCoy
Beer” under contract for a short time. Stein’s had a
large and loyal local following. Many steel workers
of German and Polish decent that lived in the area
would have a “boilermaker”, a shot of whisky with a
Stein’s beer, after work. The Brewery employed a
first and second shift during the 1950’s. Annual beer
production reached a high of 122,000 barrels during
this time. In 1956 a laborer at the brewery was making $2.15 an hour.
The George F. Stein brewing business was
sold to the Leisy Brewing Company of Cleveland,
Ohio in 1958. At that time all brewing operations
were moved to Cleveland. The brewery employed
70 workers at the time of the closing.
The year after the brewery closed the buildings were demolished to make room for a gasoline
filling station. The demolition was attempted with a
steel ball swinging from a crane. The original brewery building was red brick 40” thick with a cork layer
in the middle for insulation. The steel ball would
swing into the walls and bounce off with little or no
damage. Later a crane and bulldozer were brought on
site and the building was slowly demolished (6).
During demolition Joseph Stein remarked; “ In the
brewing industry, as in the manufacture of automobiles, it has turned out that the big operator has advantages over the small business”.
Volume IV Issue IV
Page 7
Broadway/Steins Breweries, 1852 –1958
797 to 815 Broadway Buffalo, New York
NOTES:
by John P.Eiss
(1) In the early 1800’s the Holland Land Company
owned all the land in Western New York except for
some Indian reservations.
(2) Some of the available information from this time
period is conflicting.
(3) Three different sources state the capitalization as
three different amounts, $100.00, $200.00 and
$300.00.
(4) a.k.a. Broad-Smith Co. Inc. 1920(5) 1933Charles W. Belzer later purchased and operated the Frontier Brewing Co. in Tonawanda, NY from
1939 until 1948.
(6) From the author’s observations in 1959.
“Old Stein Brewery Gone But Memories Live On” Buffalo
Courier Express Oct. 17 1959
Bibliography
Interviews in 2002 with 1930’s Shumway Street residents
Emily Eiss and Ruth Leimen
Books:
Buffalo Brewers Association Souvenir of Buffalo on Occasion of The 37th Annual Convention at Buffalo NY June
1897
Buffalo City Directories. 1873 to 1939
Editors of Western Brewer, One Hundred Years of Brewing,
Chicago and New York, H. S. Rich & Co. 1903
Golden Jubilee 1886 – 1936 Breweries Workers Union #4
Buffalo, NY. 1936
Steven Powell, Rushing The Growler, Buffalo, New York,
Digicon Imaging, Inc.1996-1999
Dale P. Van Wieren, American Breweries II, West Point, Pa.
Eastern Coast Brewiana Association. 1995
“Stein’s Brewery Articles (various)” Buffalo News 19??
“Stein’s Hotel, Orchard Park Scene Of Liquor seizure”
Courier Express, Buffalo, January 1, 1930
Other Sources:
Breweriana from The Broadway Brewing Company and
The George F. Stein Brewery Inc.
Interviews with David Mik local brewery historian 20052010
Insurance Map of Buffalo, New York, New York, Sanborn
Map Co. 1926 –1961
Insurance Map of Buffalo, New York, New York, Sanborn
Perris Map Co. 1889 – 1913
Insurance Map of Buffalo, New York, New York, Sanborn
Map & Pub. Co. 1881-1888
Map of The City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York. 1902
Map of The City of Buffalo, New York, Philadelphia, G.
M. Hopkins. 1891
Map of The City of Buffalo, New York, New York, E. H.
Hutchinson, Buffalo. 1880
Newspaper and Magazine Articles:
”Brewing History” Buffalo Courier Express Oct. 15 1959
“Buffalo—Old?” Buffalo Courier, Supplemental #6 June
6,1901
“Case Refrigerating Machine Co.”
Brewers Journal 1 Dec. 1893
Advertisement, The
“Lest We Forget: William J. Donovan” Western New York
Heritage, Pg. 23 Winter 2003
“Malt and Beer” Buffalo Express Extra Number 1888, Pg.
52. 1888
“Medina Here’s To Our Heritage” Compiled by E.W Grimnell. 1996
Editors Note:
John P. Eiss, a former member of Stein Collectors International (SCI) and now with the National Association of
Breweriana Advertising (NABA) is the author of several
articles on upstate New York breweries. John has granted
the Thirsty Knights permission to reprint his articles, periodically, as a feature story in our newsletter, the Thirsty
Knights Standard. Many of his articles have appeared in
the NABA newsletter Breweriana Collector.
We thank John P. Eiss for extending this courtesy to the
Thirsty Knights.
Page 8
Thirsty Knights Standard
Year-End Show-N-Tells
Editor’s Note: The following are “Show ‘n’ Tell
briefs that were not included in 2014 newsletters due
to limited space. The club appreciates the effort its
members make to bring items to our chapter meetings. We are therefore adding supplemental pages
to our year-end issue.
MARCH 9, 2014
Today JohnSamuel Coleman, Mark Kowalski and
Richard Walter have brought to this meeting some
“favorites” from home for the viewing enjoyment of
our membership.
JohnSamuel Coleman wrote a complete article on
Breindel steins for the September 2014 newsletter.
Mark Kowalski: Mark’s contribution to our Show ‘n’
Tell meeting segment is a 1880’s “Waldglas”stein.
The literal translation is “forest glass” sometimes
called “green glass” It was made from potash. The
ash from burnt wood was the alkali ingredient that
gave it the color green. Oxides of copper, chromium
or iron also gave it the green color. But it was the
potash or “potassium carbonate” that allowed the
glass to harden quickly, making it more brilliant and
suitable for cutting and engraving. Much of today’s
potash is made with potassium chloride. The process involved leaching the wood ashes, evaporating
the lye and the need to calcine the residue.
Compounds and formulas aside, this beautiful cut
crystal (vernacular) holds true to the old adage
“appearances can be deceptive”. At first glance the
stein appears to be ebony in color. But at the moment Jim Sauer held it in his hand, the smallest scintilla of natural light struck the glass. There was an
immediate transformation of color. A luscious, dark
emerald green color burst forth, which then spread
throughout the entire glass. It was magical. It was
also appropo given St. Patrick’s Day was one week
away.
Not to be overlooked, the pewter lid of the stein
stood out as well. It is a raised (three or four tiers)
relief with swirling hop leaves encircling each level.
In the top center of the lid is a coat of arms with two
sentinel lions on either side of the shield. The thumb
lift is amusing. Upon close observation and a keen
eye for imagery, one can observe two dwarfs face-to
-face and ready for fisticuffs.
Richard Walter: Rich has a collection of 12
lovely looking enameled glass steins or goblets; all bearing an orange wax seal image on
the body. The stamped impressions on the
seals vary. One can find a thistle, eagle, and
in most instances, what appears to be a paragraph sign (¶) and the No. 11. Rich believes
this is an insignia relating to a student society
but is not certain. If anyone can shed some
light on this mysterious marking, please contact Rich.
Besides the traditional seal, the glassware
may also reflect the likeness of a cavalier,
some form of foliage or a roll of parchment.
This leads one to believe that the artwork is
the signature style of a particular artist. Of the
12 glass pieces in Rich’s possession only one
carries a saying in the English language:
“A camel can go eight days without a drink,
but who wants to be a camel”. Need I say
more?
As always, we thank those members who
have brought an item of interest to our club
meeting. Member participation is very much
appreciated and heartily welcomed.
JUNE 29, 2014
Members Marty Cameli and Jon Hoffmann
are our Show ‘n’ Tell presenters for today’s
meeting.
Marty Cameli: Our HR aficionado, Marty,
has two colorful steins to bring to your attention. The first is HR No. 2, a ½ liter porcelain
hand-painted stein. The scene on the body of
the stein shows two hunters, possibly discussing the day’s snare or choice hunting grounds.
One gentleman holds his catch - a rather
large rabbit.
The second with his two
(apparently anxious) dogs may be embarking
on his quarry search. The stein is painted in
green and varying shades of red.
The second stein is HR No. 2/103 a ½ liter
porcelain hand-painted piece. It shows a soldier, perhaps from WWI, returning to his
Volume IV Issue IV
Page 9
Year-End Show-N-Tells
Continued
home village. He has two ladies at his sides,
each linked into one of his arms. Both are
wearing tracht; the traditional German festive
costumes. Is one woman his sister and the
other his sweetheart? They both appear to
be very interested in the tidings he brings
them. It is scenes, such as these, that are
fertile grounds for the imagination. Was this
depiction, in reality, a mirror image of a happy
homecoming for a soldier? Besides their
beauty, steins are a wonderful source of historical information, amusement and happenings in everyday life.
Jon Hoffmann: Jon brought 11 classic Löwenbräu steins to today’s meeting. Five of
the steins were made in the 1950’s, during the
Cold War period, for U. S. military personnel
stationed in Europe. These steins were commemorative in nature and represented the
following:
a) An Air Force base in France - 1959
b) Officers Wives Club in Germany
c) A soldier’s personalized souvenir Oktoberfest Stein—1954
d) Officers Open Mess stein - 1958
Included in the assortment was a small brown
and tan speckled lidded stein, age and origin
unknown, which Jon found interesting. He
believes the stein had a theatrical or ornamental function.
As a footnote, Jon requested that I relay the
news that he will be retiring at the end of August. He is looking forward to devoting more
time to his beer stein clubs and hobby.
Page 10
Thirsty Knights Standard
Chapter Minutes – Sunday, September 28, 2014
The Crow’s Nest, a familiar venue in Hackensack, N.J., was chosen as the site for the
September 28, 2014 Thirsty Knights Chapter meeting. Thirty-nine (39) members
shared a delightful meal, espied an array of
steins and enjoyed one another’s company.
The meeting commenced at 1:45 p.m. with
the following officers in attendance: President Richard Walter, First Vice President
JohnSamuel Coleman, Second Vice President Jon Hoffmann, Secretary and
Treasurer Lorraine Merz.
The meeting centered around two specific
topics:
By-Laws: A proposed amendment to the
existing By-Laws (tabled for December Meeting)
a) Motion to amend shall be proposed at
chapter meeting
b) Members receive 15 days (vs. five)
notice prior to next meeting
c) Confirmation by 2/3 majority vote of
membership present at meeting
A Motion or Resolution Form was included
in the Meeting Notice for Dec. 7th.
Combined Chapter Meeting
A donation of $100 was given to the New
England Steiners to be used in conjunction
with the Combined Chapter Meeting held
in CT on July 19, 2014. A misunderstanding arose as to the designated purpose of
the monies; resolved by a return of funds.
$100 was refunded to the Thirsty Knights
in October 2014.
Other:
Auction:
Drawing:
Gloria Barton donated 27 back
Issues of Prosit (1982 – 2003)
They were sold for $20 to Jon
Hoffmann
50/50 Raffle won by Chris
Cameli - $52.00
Missing Stein: While occupied in fulfilling
her duties as Treasurer, a pressed glass
stein, with ridges on both body sides and
an inlaid lid (depicting two brown deer in
a green forest setting) went missing from
Lorraine Merz’ table. This may have
been an oversight in payment ($15) or
the stein was inadvertently packed.
Please call Lorraine as she is seeking a
resolution to this issue.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorraine Merz
Secretary
Volume IV Issue IV
Vice-President’s Message
Page 11
Johnsamuel Coleman
hold liquid.
Eric Salzano did a lecture about
Schierholtz steins, and he presented many examples of the famous character steins.
On Sunday November 2, 2014, I
attended a joint meeting of the
Gambrinus and Keysteiners Stein
club, held in York, PA. Seven
Thirsty Knights members of
Thirsty Knights were in attendance, they included Jon & Lynn
Hoffmann, Mark Euster and
friend,
Dennis
&
Cynthia
Ramshaw, and Sidney Schwartz.
It was a very enjoyable day, with
member stein tables, offering
many different types of steins.
The highlight of this event was
its emphasis on stein education
and history. There were 3 lectures. WR Barney gave a lecture
about wooden steins and tankards. He presented both tourist
steins made for decoration, and
usable steins, which had the inside lined with pitch, so it could
Gary Schaible gave a lecture on
Marquerty pictures, which were
hand crafted wooden pictures
made with various types of wood.
Each picture is totally unique,
since no two pieces of wood have
the identical grain. The workmanship and artistry of these pictures
were truly spectacular.
The meeting was held in an historic building, that was once a
mansion. It was full of beautiful
antiques and fascinating paintings. It created an atmosphere of
a museum.
Plans are already being made for
another combined meeting in the
same location next year. I highly
recommend that you consider attending.
Page 12
Thirsty Knights Standard
SHOW-N-TELL SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
Today five members have brought with them
items that are humorous, practical, historic,
unusual, or varied.
the lamp be revamped - repaired and
sporting a new lid? That may be another
story for Show ‘n’ Tell.
Ralph Agostini: Ralph has said in the past
that collectors always dream about one particular (usually more than one) stein they
would like to own. Sometimes they are beyond our grasp. The solution: an 8”x10”
framed cutout glossy from a stein catalog to
sit on your nightstand. In recognition of his
skill in bowling two 300 score games, Ralph
presented Walter Ziegelhofer with two such
framed photos of bowling steins to ensure a
pleasant and enjoyable respite.
Roger Barr: Roger’s “discovery” was made
at the Sarasota, Florida Mennonite Retirement Community and cost $20. The beer
stein underwent a transformation from
drinking vessel to lighting device; perhaps
considered of more practical usage. Roger
was advised by Johnsamuel Coleman (at today’s meeting) that the stein was a Diesinger
and worth $1,000 in its original form. Could
Gloria Barton: Gloria brought a unique
historic pewter tankard from her late
husband Neil’s collection. It is 14” high,
7” in diameter at its base and dates to the
age of Shakespeare (1650-1720). The
characteristics of this tankard are many.
Starting from the base, upon which the
drinking vessel rests, are ‘angel feet’ a
term used to describe a design utilized by
artisans at the time. Moving upward, a
beautiful inscription, written in the prose
of the period, covers the body of the
piece. On top of the lid is a sculptured
dolphin finial; considered an enchanting
and enigmatic creature from the sea. The
thumb lift and hinge, which work in
unison, are decorative and functional. The
hinge, in this case is an extraordinary feature of the tankard. It has four rows of
“gears”; the achievement of accomplished
“old world” craftsmen. Lastly, does the
shield that bears the engraved initials
“HIB” pertain to the original owner or
Volume IV Issue IV
Page 13
THE RHEINHOLD HANKE’S CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS
CHARACTERSEPTEMBER
BEER STEINS
SHOW-N-TELL
28, 2014
Continued
did they belong to the recipient of this
splendid gift?
green and the other, a two-faced card stein,
is Mettlach # 2098.
Note: Many thanks to SCI and Gambrinus
Stein Club member Stephen Smith who
provided a wealth of information on this
pewter tankard; a minute portion of which
Art Slicer: Many stein hobbyists specialize
in a specific type of stein (stoneware, faience,
glass, etc.), theme (sports, history, occupations, etc.) or style (characters, PUGs,
etched, etc.). Many hobbyists will then
branch out into “go-withs”, or breweriana.
Art, whose main interest is the collection of
4F pieces, stayed the course but with a slight
difference. He sought similar 4F pieces but
those with distinct variations. Today he
brought two Dümler and Breiden stein, exactly the same, with the exception of the
lids; one in light gray and the other in a
shade of purple. Merkelbach and Wick were
represented by two similar steins; their only
difference
again were
the lids;
red
and
green on
one and
green and
blue
on
the other
stein.
appears here.
Johnsamuel Coleman: Johnsamuel
brought two unusual Mettlach etched
stoneware steins. One # 2012 is grey/
The club would like to thank the participating members for, yet another, interesting and
enjoyable “Show ‘n’ Tell presentation.
Page 14
Thirsty Knights Standard
SHOW-N-TELL
THREE CHAPTER COMBINED MEETING
JULY 19, 2014
Today we have two members, from two different clubs, ready to display their unusual
acquisitions.
Ron Jacob (New England Steiners): After
visiting a little shop he had come across, Ron
came away with a new collection to add to his
stein hobby - a “topping” off so to speak. He
purchased a variety of hand-painted figural
beer stein tops; 13 in total. The pewter base
of the lid measures 2 5/8” and can be placed
or glued on to a stein. They were manufactured in Hohr, the Westerwald region of
Germany, in the l980’s.
There is a possibility, according to a fellow
member, that Gerz may be the company that
produced a stein series with these particular
lids. The assortment consists of an owl, eagle,
quail, rabbit, boar, dog, duck, woodpecker,
Gambrinus, beer maid
server, zither player,
seaman, and lion with
Bavarian shield .
Johnsamuel Coleman
donated a souvenir
stein which was presented to Ron Jacobs
on behalf of the
Thirsty Knights.
It was not Ron’s intention to add an offshoot
collection in his leisure pursuit of beer steins,
but who can resist the lure of “go with”
items.
Art Slicer (Thirsty Knights): Art brought
along two items for our perusal. The first is a
1902 volume that is both a biography and a
catalogue on the life and works of the prolific
artist Edmund von Grützner (circa 1890’s).
This artist is well known for his works featuring monks brewing
beer or fermenting
wine. He was considered
the
“photographer” of
the day and painted
many portraits of
cardinals as well.
His compositions
are very recognizable, if not his name,
to many who find a
print showing a “smiling monk with beer in
hand”.
Art’s second piece was a recently purchased
½ liter 4F blue (cobalt) and purple
(magnesium) stoneware Dümler and Breiden
salt glaze stein. The stein is a relief with an
inlaid lid of Father
Jahn, the founder of
the Turn Verein.
The body of the stein
is divided into athletic
theme panels: parallel
bars,
gymnastic
equipment, and field
events. Art, ever on
the lookout for a 4F
article, has another
prized piece to put
on his shelf.
Volume IV Issue IV
Page 15
DRINKING HORNS AROUND THE WORLD
JULY 19, 2014
For the past 8 years Jon Hoffmann has been collecting an array of drinking vessels dating from
1730 to 1980. Some of these were elaborate and
ornate. A large hand-painted porcelain and bronze
piece, that was made in China for the Russian market, was decorated with dragons and flowers. The
original owner was obviously a personage of great
wealth and prestige.
Presentation Cup: Given to jaegers (hunters)
upon retirement from the German forestry service; name and date inscribed.
Centerpiece at German Choral Society events.
The drinking vessel form remained unchanged until 1910 when a metamorphosis occurred. Jon
demonstrated with a paper constructed drinking
Most of the drinking horns were simple and primi- vessel. When the pointed bottom of the horn is
removed you
tive and came
have, in place,
from all rethe forerunner
gions of the
of the modern
globe - India,
day coffee/Dixie
Spain, Transylcup. It was an
vania, Africa
elementary step
and the Amerbut an innovaican
plains.
Many
were
tive leap!
fashioned
from the bone
or horn of elk,
deer,
steer,
buffalo or rhino.
Since
the
source
for
making these
drinking horns
were readily available, they became not only an
accessory and necessity, but a symbol of one’s
power and stature. The early Vikings, in particular,
felt that “the person with the largest horn is the
one who has the floor”. The “horns” served many
purposes:
They held the grease which oiled the wagon
wheels of pioneers making the trek across the
prairie.
A communication tool: When An inserted plug
was removed from the pointed end it was transformed into a bugle-like instrument.
THIRSTY KNIGHTS
Help make this Chapter a success!
Newsletter Committee
Lorraine Merz
[email protected]
516-352-0138
Please bring your items to sell at our meetings. Call
Rich or Lorraine to reserve your table.
NEWS BRIEFS
Richard H. Walter
[email protected]
973-345-7503
tee shirt also appeared in the Long Island,
NY newspaper Newsday. The September
29, 2014 issue had a photo gallery slide
show; the end of which had a picture of
our happy group!
Copyright 2014
Thirsty Knights
The weekend of September 20-21, 2014 was
clear, bright and breezy. A perfect time to
participate in or observe the Steuben Day
Parade along Fifth Avenue in New York
(similar happenings in other major cities).
Shep Steenbock marched on Saturday for
Club Germania, NJ amidst floats, bands and
fraternal organizations. Celebrations continued on Sunday, the 21st at Plattduetsche Park
on Long Island, New York. Members Lorraine
and Hermann Merz, Arthur and Joyce Albro,
Mark Kowalski, Al Schroeder and other
friends sang, danced and partook of food and
drink throughout the day. Lorraine wore a
Thirsty Knights tee shirt, compliments of
Barbara and Rich Walter, who had them
made up for the officers of the club.
Plattduetsche Park had a roving photographer, Alana Mutum, who took photos of the
day’s activities; two of which were included in
their Facebook page.
Events such as parades, picnics, festivals and
fairs, where people gather and chat, are ideal
locals in which interest in SCI and the Thirsty
Knights Chapter can be sowed. A photo of
the group’s table and Lorraine’s distinctive
Editor’s Note: Last year Lorraine contacted
an acquaintance on the Steuben Parade
Committee for the purpose of exploring the
possibility of SCI/Thirsty Knights representation in the parade. (She also emailed the
suggestion to SCI. in 2012.) He was very
receptive to the idea and suggested she follow up with him to discuss the particulars.
With the approval of the membership, Lorraine will restart the conversation and inquire
as to the procedure and requirements needed
to ensure a position for the Thirsty Knights in
the 2015 parade.