by
Historical research opens windows to colorful details of daily life that can amuse, entertain and connect us to bygone eras.
That's certainly true of the ad below, published 110 years ago -- to the day -- in the Detroit Free Press by an iconic firm that's still here. It evokes a time when Detroit tap water wasn't effectively treated, when Stroh's delivered to homes and when admen pitched shamelessly.
The pure Detroit classic was found by Mason Christensen of Dearborn, an American history scholar and museum professional who seems like a guy whose recreation equipment includes microfilm, oversize atlases, bound newspaper volumes and digital archives.
Christensen, archivist and communications specialist at the Dearborn Historical Museum, posts the June 6, 1907 Stroh's ad at his lively Michigan history feeds on Twitter and Facebook.
A bit of context for the health safety comparison of two beverages: Back in the last century's first decade, tap water in cities wasn't necessarily a safe, clean beverage -- a fact that let Stroh's creative team get . . . well, particularly creative.
"Stroh's Bohemian Beer is sterilized so no possible harm could come from its use," the company boasted. Got that -- what could possibly go wrong?
Savor more of the century-old flavor -- and don't miss what's below the three-digit phone number:
His Twitter feed is as consistently tasty and refreshing as a stein of Stroh's.
