I'm thinking of mounting a campaign.
So, let's get some letters written, and that socially-based media churring. Hell, I'll even spring for fat markers and poster board for placards, because long story short…
I WANT ALBANY'S KING BACK WHERE HE BELONGS!
*He's not actually a saint—or a real person for that matter.
**According to Zinc Sculpture in America, 1850-1950, the actual sculptor of Beverwyck's Gambrinus is unknown, but it is a "Fiske" Gambrinus, a version which depicts a more youthful king, popularized by the decorative cast iron and zinc manufacturer, J.W. Fiske, of New York City. Pabst's effigy was an earlier wooden, more well-fed, "Demuth" version, from Wm. Demuth & Co, a pipe maker in New York known for cigar-store figures.
Civil rights? Protecting the environment or an endangered species? Oh no, nothing that noble.
You see, a very important historic and cultural icon has been taken—nay ripped away—from its rightful home in Albany. Like precious art and stolen by the Nazis during during the second world war. Okay, maybe not it's not that important—and there were no Nazis, or really ripping of any kind, involved—but what it is, is pretty cool.
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A detail from a Beverwyck serving tray (c.1900) showing Gambrinus above the brewery's main entrance. |
Back in the late 19th-century there was an architectural trend that was popular in the brewing world—adding an effigy of Gambrinus (the mythical, Medieval, Low County King, and patron "saint"* of brewers) to your brewery building. These figures were based on similar versions found in Europe, showing the king hoisting a tankard of beer in the air, and resting his foot on, or near, a cask. A number of of these statues popped-up across the U.S., during the 1870s and 80s. Breweries like Pabst in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; American in Baltimore, Maryland; August Wagner in Columbus, Ohio; and Krueger, in Newark, New Jersey (just to name a few) all adorned their buildings with versions of the kingly statue.
Not to be outdone by his rivals, in 1878 Albany's Michael Nolan—while building his swanky new lager brewery, Beverwyck—festooned his brewery with a statue from the Brooklyn, New York firm of M. Gelbelt & Bros**. One of three firms in the county to make these models. Cast first in zinc, then enveloped in copper, the sculpture was polychromed to match the building's color scheme. Polychroming was a practice of decorating architectural elements and sculpture with paint. Although the technique waned in the 20th century, it was quite popular in the late-19th century.
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The King (and some other dude) at the Leigh Valley Brewery, today. |
The nearly 12 feet tall King Gambrinus stood in an archway above an entrance to Beverwyck—well past Nolan's death in 1905, through the dark days of Prohibition, and even after the purchase of Beverwyck by F&M Schaefer Company in 1950. It stayed in that arch for a total of 94 years, until Schaefer closed its Albany plant in 1972. Although, and unfortunately, the brewery itself was torn down, the Gambrinus figure was moved to Schaefer's new facility, the Lehigh Valley Brewery, outside Allentown Pennsylvania. Schaefer stopped brewing at that location in 1980, but the brewery has continued to operate, as a satellite brewery for a number of companies—Stroh's, Pabst, Diago and most recently the Boston Beer Company. There, perched on a brick pedestal, the king sits in the brewery's new beer garden.
David Grinell, vice-president of brewing for the Boston Beer Company, spoke about the Gambrinus statue in a 2010 interview with Modern Brewery Age. He noted.
"You remember the Gambrinus statue at that brewery? It was painted with about 15 colors, I'm not sure why. There about about 5 or 6 of these Gambrinus statues still around that date from the 19th century, when they served as brand icons or mascots for the old family breweries. I think City might have one in LaCrosse, and Pabst used to have one or two. And now we have one. When we showed up, and saw it was multi-colored, we found someone to refurbish it."Refurbished? I kinda wish they hadn't done that. Us, Albnaninas, would have recognized the importance of that paint. Would they "refurbish" the Mona Lisa by erasing her smile? Would they "improve" David, by adding a fig leaf. No I think not. I'm not even sure the king is safe out in that so-called "beer garden".
So, let's get some letters written, and that socially-based media churring. Hell, I'll even spring for fat markers and poster board for placards, because long story short…
I WANT ALBANY'S KING BACK WHERE HE BELONGS!
*He's not actually a saint—or a real person for that matter.
**According to Zinc Sculpture in America, 1850-1950, the actual sculptor of Beverwyck's Gambrinus is unknown, but it is a "Fiske" Gambrinus, a version which depicts a more youthful king, popularized by the decorative cast iron and zinc manufacturer, J.W. Fiske, of New York City. Pabst's effigy was an earlier wooden, more well-fed, "Demuth" version, from Wm. Demuth & Co, a pipe maker in New York known for cigar-store figures.