Collectors raise their glasses to vintage whiskey advertising

A Seal of Kentucky Whiskey tin sign achieved $37,500 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2019. Image courtesy of Showtime Auction Services and LiveAuctioneers.
A Seal of Kentucky whiskey tin sign achieved $37,500 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2019. Image courtesy of Showtime Auction Services and LiveAuctioneers.
A Seal of Kentucky Whiskey tin sign achieved $37,500 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2019. Image courtesy of Showtime Auction Services and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — By today’s standards, early whiskey advertising may seem dated and male-centric. Images of elegantly-attired, cigar-smoking gentlemen drinking together as well as hunting scenes with buffalos and Old West cowboys dominate the medium. The macho archetype of the typical whiskey drinker of the early 1800s gave rise to a whole genre of advertising to appeal to that market. While such advertising imagery would likely not be produced today, it still holds appeal to collectors.

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