"What is a labologist?" you may ask. A person who collects beer labels: old, new, domestic, foreign, you name it.

I have been researching beer labels for a while, as a legitimate part of my job. (How many people can say that?) Being the curator for the Schmidt House, home of the Olympia Brewing Company archives, helps. I recently found out that Washington State Archives has a relatively unexplored collection of trademark applications. A company that wanted to have its product registered as a trademark in Washington had to submit an application and a sample of the trademark. These records turned out to be a treasure trove of beer labels — a few dating back to before Prohibition (pre-1916), with most clustered in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s.

Here are some highlights from the collection (click images to enlarge):

The Rheinlander beer label is from the now-defunct Century Brewing Association, which operated from 1933 to 1935. Established by Emil Sick and his family after Prohibition was repealed, the company took over the old Bay View Brewery complex on Airport Way in Seattle. The original brewery was built in the 1880s. When Prohibition took effect in 1916, the brewery was converted to a grain milling operation.

In 1933, Century remodeled the old buildings, replaced all the interior structure and roofing, and brought in the latest brewing equipment. Over $1 million was invested in the remodel (over $20 million in today’s dollars).

In 1935, Century merged with Louis Hemrich’s Seattle Brewing & Malting Co., which produced the now-famous Rainier Beer. The brewery with its big “R” sign (restored to the site several years ago) still stands along I-5 in south Seattle.

This 1951 label was submitted by the Yakima Valley Brewing Co. in Selah. Yakima Valley was a fairly small brewery and operated from 1938 to 1954. It used artesian water in several brands of beer, including Selah Springs, Hi-Wings, and Old Bavarian. The tagline “Make Mine Martin’s” appeared in newspaper ads for this particular beer. The brewery closed in 1954; in 1955, the plant and equipment were auctioned off.

Alvin Hemrich, older brother of fellow renowned brewer Louis Hemrich, established the Western Brewing Co. in 1933. The brewery was located on East Marginal Way in Seattle in a converted soap factory. Within a year the name was changed to Hemrich Brewing when the plant and use of Alvin’s name were sold to a Canadian syndicate. The Coronet label shown here was registered in 1936. Other brands brewed at the Hemrich plant included Jockey Club Lager and the oddly named Happy Peppy Beer. Brewing ceased in January 1940, and the corporation was formally dissolved in late 1942.

Golden Age Breweries, Inc., maintained a brewery in Spokane. The business started in 1933, when the Mutual Realty Co. reincorporated as Golden Age Breweries. This particular label with an Art Deco motif was submitted in 1936. The brewery was occasionally in the news in the 1930s and ‘40s, appearing in lawsuits related to taxation, anti-trust activities, and union conflicts. The company was dissolved in 1948.

Banner photo: Fourth of July parade, Seattle. State Library Photograph Collection, 1851-1990. 1888.