Here is a Poth’s Lager Beer Sign from the F. A. Poth Brewing Company located in Philadelphia, PA. This pre-prohibition era Poth’s Lager Beer Sign is from between 1887 and 1893 and is in very good condition considering how old it is.
The double-sided sign was made by the Reen & Trump Sign Maker located in Philadelphia, PA. It is approximately 36″ by 40″ and is made of lithographed metal. This style of sign is known as a “Gate Sign” or “Fence Sign” as it resembles a gate or fence; the sign could also be known as a “Trade Sign”. The graphics on this sign depict a German Fellow (who could possibly depict the owner of the brewery Frederick A. Poth) enjoying a beer surrounded by the typography that reads “F. A. Poth Lager Beer”.
Signs like these would displayed outside of a tavern above an entrance to advertise Poth Brewery products. The reason that the sign was made like this was to allow wind gusts to pass through the sign rather than blocking, it which could lead to the sign falling off a building or hanging bracket. These style advertising signs were very popular during the mid to late 1800s.