Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2020.FIC.046.A |
Object Name |
Sign, Advertising |
Title |
R.C. Maxwell Company Ballantine's Ale Minute Clock Hand |
Description |
A green minute clock hand shaped like a flat Ballantine's Ale bottle. The front of the clock hand features details that mimic an ale bottle. The bottle cap appears as a black triangle with a white rim, while the bottle itself is shaped like a flat cylinder that narrows near the top. Near the bottom of the thin portion, there's a horizontal white stripe with three red overlapping circles at its center-two circles on top and one at the bottom. The edges of the stripe are decorated with red dots. In the wider portion of the bottle, there is a long white oval with a dark green outline, surrounding a yellow inscription that reads, "BOTTLED & BREWED. P. BALLANTINE & SONS," separated by yellow dots. Inside the oval, a red inscription reads, "BALLANTINE'S ALE." A green oval line runs around the center of the white oval, containing three green overlapping circles arranged similarly to those on the stripe. Below the circles, there's a red "XXX" inscription, along with green dots surrounding the circles and inscription. A hole near the bottom of the white oval presumably served to attach the hand to the clock. The back of the clock hand is entirely black, with elevated lines providing support. According to the Trove General Store blog, Peter Ballantine founded the company that would later become P. Ballantine & Sons Brewery in 1840 in Newark, New Jersey, initially called the Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company. After buying out his partner in the 1850s, Peter renamed the company to P. Ballantine & Sons Brewery. The brewery's flagship product, Ballantine Ale, gained rapid popularity. During Prohibition, the company survived by selling malt syrup, and following the end of Prohibition with the 21st Amendment, it was sold to the Badenhausen family. This period saw the company's success peak, becoming the third largest beer producer in the United States, even sponsoring the New York Yankees' television broadcasts. However, Ballantine's decline began in the mid-1960s, and in 1972, the company was sold to the Falstaff Brewing Corporation, which later sold it to Pabst Brewing Company in 1985. As of 2024, Pabst still sells Ballantine Ale. According to Duke University Libraries, Robert Chester Maxwell founded R.C. Maxwell Company in 1894 in Trenton, New Jersey. Initially an outdoor advertising company, R.C. Maxwell produced signs along roadways in New York and New Jersey, as well as near tourist destinations in Atlantic City and Times Square. In 1919, they began producing electric advertising signs, leading to the opening of an electric sign manufacturing plant in Atlantic City. The company merged with the Trenton Poster Advertising Company in 1923 and created many signs along the Atlantic City Boardwalk. R.C. Maxwell Company was sold to Interstate Outdoor in 2000. This clock hand was a part of a larger clock that was hung in Trenton, New Jersey. Citations: Foster. (2011, October 27). Let’s Talk history – P. Ballantine & Sons. Trove General Store. https://thisistrovegeneralstore.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/lets-talk-history-p-ballantine-sons/ R.C. Maxwell Company Records, 1891-2001 and Undated - Archives & Manuscripts at Duke University Libraries. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. (n.d.). https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/rcmaxwellco |
Date |
Late 19th to Early 20th Century |
Material |
Metal |
Artist |
R.C. Maxwell Company |
Height (in) |
57.500 |
Width (in) |
12.000 |
Condition |
Okay |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Accretions throughout. Front: There is paint chipping all over. There are white accretions all over. There are scratches all over. And finally, the yellow inscription is faded. Back: There are white accretions all over. Also, there is a blue accretion on the center near the left side. |
Inscription Type |
Inscription |
Inscription Location |
Front, Center to Bottom, Left to Right |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"BOTTLED & BREWED" Line 1 "BALLANTINE'S" Line 2 "XXX" Line 3 "ALE" Line 4 "P. BALLANTINE's & SONS" Line 5 |
People |
Peter Ballantine Robert Chester Maxwell |
Classification |
Business & Commerce Travel |
Subjects |
Metals Metalwork Streets Roads Transportation Transportation industry Clock towers Clock & watch industry Clock & watch making Clocks & watches Alcoholic beverages Paints & varnishes Painting Painters (Tradespeople) Paint industry |
Search Terms |
Metal Green White Red Black Yellow Ale 19th Century 20th Century Peter Ballantine Robert Chester Maxwell Ballantine's Ale Ballantine's Beer Bottle Clock Clock Hand P. Ballantine & Sons Brewery Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company Newark Trenton Atlantic City Times Square Badenhausen Pabst Brewing Company Falstaff Brewing Corporation Trenton Poster Advertising Company Roads Electric Advertising Signs 1894 1840 R.C. Maxwell Company Ballantine's Ale Minute Clock Hand Minute Advertising Sign 19th Century 20th Century |
Provenance |
Found in collection |