Rochester, PA
The Thuemler Manufacturing Company was established by Hugo Thuemler in 1898 located in Rochester, PA. Hugo Thuemler, born in Germany in 1847, immigrated to the United States with specialized skills in decorative arts, particularly in transfer printing on ceramics.
In 1894, Thuemler was residing in Rochester, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, where he initially worked as a salesman. By 1898, he had founded the Thuemler Manufacturing Company in Rochester. The company specialized in decorating novelties, china, and glassware. It quickly carved out a niche by producing custom transfer-decorated beer steins and mugs for breweries, which were popular promotional items at the time. Additionally, the company created items such as root beer mugs, whiskey jugs, and various commemorative pieces.
In 1901, Thuemler moved his operations to Sewickley, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, while maintaining a sales office in Pittsburgh. Products from this period often bore marks indicating they were made in “Pittsburg,” reflecting the city’s official spelling during that time. The company thrived by providing American breweries with high-quality, locally made promotional items, reducing the need for imports from Germany. They produced beer steins and mugs for such breweries like Sprenger, Pabst, Franziskaner, American, Fred Sehring, Grain Belt, Goebels, Radeke, and Minneapolis as well as the Philadelphia Brewery Drivers Union just to name a few. One of the trademarks on some of the steins was the handles portrayed the face of King Gambrinus who was the patron saint of beer and brewing.
Hugo Thuemler died in 1908 at the age of 61, reportedly due to acute indigestion. Following his death, the company ceased operations and disappeared from business directories by 1913.
Below are a few examples of Thuemler Mfg. Co. Steins & Mugs:
