| Seasons Greetings from your local Brewery
- circa 1912! |
| by Louis Aulbach |
Most of you will have received all your seasons greetings cards for
2009 by the time you read this newsletter. However, since the holidays
aren't officially over yet, we thought you'd like to see just one more
that was sent to Houstonians... in 1912!
Traditionally, the holiday season has been a time for retail businesses
to communicate the company's good wishes to their customers. In the
early nineteenth century, the Houston Ice and Brewing Association used
an engraved greeting card to announce the winners of its "guess the
number of bottles" contest while extending its best wishes for a happy
holiday season.
The card was a simple, but direct, message to its customers and to
those who stopped by its booth at the city's annual November festival
known as the Carnival, or more properly, the No-Tsu-Oh Festival. This
Mardi Gras style festival was a week long celebration of local
businesses, most notably the cotton trade, in which pageants, parades
and balls were held throughout the week. No doubt, the local brewery
also played a big role in the festivities.
The Houston Ice and Brewing Association was the producer of several
beers, including the Magnolia, Richelieu and Southern Select brands.
The brewery was located on Buffalo Bayou at Franklin Avenue and was
very convenient to the street celebrations of the Carnival along
Commerce Avenue and Franklin Avenue. Today, the Magnolia Ballroom is a
remnant of the large brewery complex that spanned the bayou.
 |
| 1912 Seasons Greetings card
sent by Houston Ice and Brewing Association to its customers. |
Photo courtesy of the
Hildegard
Cox collection. |
This greeting card dates from about 1912. The No-Tsu-Oh Festival began
in the late 1890's, and the last festival was held about 1915.
Nevertheless, the message conveyed by the card is timeless.
Seasons Greetings!
~~~ The End ~~~
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