Loved by Millions
A 1942 Schlitz Brewing tin sign painted by illustrator Ben Stahl
This sign shows the Statue of Liberty from below, torch raised against a stormy sunset. It was made in 1942 for the Schlitz brewery of Milwaukee, then the biggest beer maker in America, and it hung in taverns across the country. The picture is printed directly onto a sheet of tin, and even the gold frame is part of that same sheet, pressed into shape.
What makes it special is the artist. It was painted by Ben Stahl, one of the great American illustrators. He did hundreds of covers for the Saturday Evening Post and helped found an art school alongside Norman Rockwell.
Notice there's no beer anywhere on it. The sign came out just after Pearl Harbor, and Schlitz simply put Liberty on the wall and let customers connect the dots.
You’ve probably never seen a beer promotion as subtle as Lady Liberty is for Schlitz and this wall hanger.