Museum News & Activities

• Museum Displays at Antique Center

• Museum Displays at Public Library

One of our responsibilities is to educate the public to the niceties of beer steins and beer stein collecting. To that end we recently worked with one of the largest antique and collectible malls in the Pacific Northwest.  The Star Antique Mall in Snohomish Washington provided us with their largest public display area as seen in the accompanying photos and let us have the use of it for a full six weeks.

According to their estimates, they get about 4,500 people a week moving through the facility, which translates to the possibility that 27,000 people viewed our display.

With so much space at our disposal, we ambitiously attempted to cover as many aspects of stein collecting as we could.

We provided examples of all the major materials, pewter, faience, pottery, porcelain, glass, stoneware as well as wood and copper and gave mention to the less common materials such as ivory, silver, gold, coconut, etc.

We explained the differences between pottery, stoneware and porcelain. For glass, we showed examples of blown, mold blown and pressed as well as different ways to decorate glass; etched, cut, engraved, enameled, colored and explained how different colors were achieved.

We showed examples from different manufacturers such as Mettlach, Merkelbach and Wick, Diesinger, Reinhold Hanke, and Fritz Thenn, noted their style differences and individual manufacturer's marks.

We had examples of thematic collecting such as Characters, Regimentals, Occupationals, Mü Kindl, Franz Ringer, Monks, Art Nouveau, Brewery and others.

We showed examples of, and explained the terms, relief, etched, PUG and hand painted. 

Also shown were a number of go-withs such as military medals, postcards, plates, serving trays, statuettes and examples of how they fit into the hobby.

There were tiny steins and huge steins, examples of Prosit, auction catalogs, and various types of books and literature available to the hobby. We introduced many people to Stein Collectors International and urged them to join SCI and their regional chapters.

All in all, I think we reached a lot of people, hopefully attracted some new collectors, and made many more aware of our great hobby.

Pat Manusov put up a stein and resources exhibit at the Norwalk branch of the Los Angeles Public Library during the month of July. The accompanying pictures show her display of pieces and resource material.

She reports that although no one called to find out about the local chapter, the librarian fielded a lot of inquiries about purchasing the items! Pat included where to send for membership information - Les Hopper, and where to call for local information - her number.

This is a source of information and education to the general public on collecting and on an art form, and many libraries promote things like this in the public interest. This is the second such display by Erste Gruppe members this year. These displays are quite easy to arrange, and we would encourage other members and chapters to try it in their neighborhoods. A library is easy to approach, although their program may be scheduled several months ahead.