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Old Truman’s Beer Labels

February 4, 2015
by the gentle author

In Spitalfields, we all live in the shadow of the old Truman Brewery founded in Brick Lane in 1666, which makes the history of Truman’s part of the history of the place and thus a subject of fascination to us all. So I was delighted to come upon these pristine Truman’s labels for beer bottles dating from the middle of the last century which have never been used. There is a timeless quality to the elegant simplicity of their design and their unusual use of bold colours, combined with fine hand-drawn lettering, delivers an appealing series of small graphic masterpieces.

8 Responses leave one →
  1. February 4, 2015

    Very nice

  2. Greg Tingey permalink
    February 4, 2015

    “Ben Truman” The first beer I ever drank – & totally legally, too, at age 14.
    ( Yes, it can be done, you just have to know the rules … )

  3. February 4, 2015

    Very fine. Everything is said in the story. — Interesting : watch the astonishing metamorphosis of the apostrophe!

    Love & Peace
    ACHIM

  4. February 4, 2015

    The labels are beautiful, but although we lived for some time in the shadow of the brewery, I didn’t grow up with a love of beer! Valerie

  5. andrew r. permalink
    February 4, 2015

    great stuff…old memories

  6. Peter Holford permalink
    February 4, 2015

    Such memories. I used to roam around my uncle’s various pubs from the age of about five – all of them Truman’s pubs. I was soon roped in to restock the shelves and to make sure the labels faced the front. After 60 years I still recognise them!

  7. May 10, 2017

    I think it was my father who designed these labels – Mick Meggs. He was a trainee architect with Truman’s Brewery in 1950s and was asked to design new labels. He then went on to do pub signs! He also got the wonderful job of redesigning new loos in the Truman pubs (but that was earlier, in the late 1940s).

  8. jill dunmore permalink
    June 18, 2017

    My father used to work there, he has just passed away at 93 and I have found 30 new labels in his belongings, 4 x Ben Trumans, 6 x Trubrown,6 x Best Strout, 6 Eagle Stout, 6 Eagle Light and 2 x N0 1 Barleywine

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