Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2020.FIC.046.B |
Object Name |
Sign, Advertising |
Title |
R.C. Maxwell Company Ballantine's Beer Hour Clock Hand |
Description |
A brown hour clock hand shaped like a flat Ballantine Beer bottle. The front features detailed elements that replicate a beer bottle. The bottle's cap appears as a black triangle with a light brown rim, while the body of the bottle is shaped like a flat cylinder that tapers toward the top. Near the bottom of the narrow section of the bottle, there is a horizontal white stripe with a black inscription that reads, "Ballantine." Just below the stripe, another black inscription reads, "beer." Near the center of the wider portion of the bottle, there is a large white oval with black and light brown rims. Yellow dots encircle the black portion of the rim, while black dots encircle the light brown part. Inside the oval, there's a red inscription that reads, "Ballantine Extra Fine beer," with a red star placed between the words "Ballantine" and "Extra Fine." Below the inscription, three black overlapping circles appear, with two on top and one on the bottom. Near the center of the oval, there is an elevated silver circle with a hole, likely used to attach the hand to the clock. The back of the clock hand is entirely black, with a series of elevated lines for 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) |
54.500 |
Length (in) |
13.000 |
Condition |
Okay |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Paint chipping, abrasions, discolorations, and accretions throughout. Front: There are white discolorations all over. There are dark brown discolorations all over. There are abrasions all over. There is paint cracking on the center near the middle and on top. There are scratches all over. The word "beer" is slightly faded. There is corrosion all over the elevated circle. And finally, the words "Extra Fine" are almost completely faded. Back: There are white accretions all over. There are abrasions all over. And finally, there is paint cracking near the bottom right corner. |
Inscription Type |
Inscription |
Inscription Location |
Front, Top to Bottom, Left to Right |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"Ballantine" Line 1 "beer" Line 2 "Ballantine" Line 3 "Extra" Line 4 "Fine" Line 5 "beer" Line 6 |
People |
Peter Ballantine Robert Chester Maxwell |
Subjects |
Metals Metalwork Streets Roads Transportation Transportation industry Clock towers Clock & watch industry Clock & watch making Clocks & watches Alcoholic beverages Beer Paints & varnishes Painting Painters (Tradespeople) Paint industry |
Search Terms |
Metal Brown White Black Red Beer 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 Beer Hour Clock Hand Hour Advertising Sign 19th Century 20th Century |
Provenance |
Found in collection |