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As North Americans in the early years of the 21st century, we all take marketing to be a fact of life. Advertisements bombard us all day long. But in the 19th century, the world was not so driven by a competitive marketplace in search of market share. Citizens in the community knew what products were available locally. Accordingly, there was little need to develop a 'brand' or cultivate in 'image'.

By the mid 19th century, breweries and distilleries were becoming quite large and they needed to compete for their share of available customers. There are few artifacts that survive from those early days. Some of the earliest evidence how brewers and distillers defined themselves is through surviving invoices they issued to customers. Here, one can find images, embedded in their letterhead, of their impressive factory structures or reproductions of awards they have won. Although bottles were introduced in the mid-19th century, little survives today of these early vessels. But by the late 19th century, manufacturers are designing and using labels that communicate visually something of what is contained within the bottle - early evidence of the emerging interest in creating a 'brand'. Also in the late 19th century, alcohol manufacturers were producing posters that could be framed and hung in the places where they may have an impact on potential buyers - namely, in taverns and hotels.

As the 20th century got underway, many new vehicles for promoting beer and spirits emerged, including: post cards, calendars, sports score cards, schedules for professional sports teams, fishing lures, recipe books for mixing cocktails, ashtrays and more. In the case of Gooderham and Worts, they built a radio station to broadcast into the homes of citizens and more subtely link their product to the musical fashions of the day.

It is also worth noting that the temperance and prohibitionist forces of 19th century utilized marketing-style campaigns to battle the makers of alcohol. Illustrations and messages in magazines and newspapers continually brought the dangers of alcohol to public awareness.

This section contains many images related to the development of marketing strategies related to 'booze in the old town'.

ins many images related to the development of marketing strategies related to 'booze in the old town'.

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Copland Brewery invoice, 1895
3 August 1895
Parliament St. and King St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto
Photo: Douglas Worts

3

Cosgrave Brewery invoice, 1879
4 October 1879
Niagara St and Queen St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto

4

Don Brewery, 1889
15 July 1889
North-east corner King St. East, and River St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

5

Don Brewery - Ad Notice
1866-69
North-east corner King St. East, and River St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
from "The Art and Magic of Brewing in Ontario", by Ian Bowering, Burnstown,ON: General Store Publishing, 1988, p. 101

6

Davies Brewing and Malting Co., envelope
c. 1890
North-east corner King St. East, and River St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

7

Dominion Brewery, invoice, 1896
22 October 1896
Queen St East (north side, between Sumach and Sackville Sts), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto. Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

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O'Keefe Brewery, Toronto
1840-1934
11-17 Gould Street (near Yonge and Dundas), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
in Ian Bowering, "The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario", Burnstown, ON: General Store Publishing, 1988, p. 95 (original in Ontario Archives, S15450)

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O'Keefe Brewery, letterhead
Late 19th century
Dundas St., one block east of Yonge St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

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Ontario Brewing and Malting, invoice, 1900
26 April 1900
South side of King Street East, at Ontario Street, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

11

Reinhardt & Co Brewery, invoice, 1897
19 October 1897
2 - 22 Mark St., (east of River St, just south of Dundas St. East), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

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Toronto Brewing & Malting Co., invoice, 1876
17 June 1876
Simcoe St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

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Samples of beer labels - all produced around 1900.

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Cosgrave Brewery, label for Pale Ale, c. 1900
c. 1900
Niagara St and Queen St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto