Kermisprent van de Amsterdamse nachtwacht voor het jaar 1873 1873

This print of the Amsterdam Night Watch for the year 1873 was produced anonymously, and likely served as a promotional piece for a brewery around the time of a local fair. The image contains a poem and an illustration of a brewery; beneath these, a decorative border encloses text in Dutch, dated September 8, 1873. The poem praises beer as a friend to many. It also expresses a wish that even the humblest man can obtain strong beer to strengthen his body. In the late 19th century, institutions such as breweries often played an important social role in the lives of working people. Local fairs and festivals were important opportunities for these institutions to promote themselves and deepen ties with their communities. To better understand images like this, we can delve into archival records and cultural ephemera such as trade cards and local newspapers. This will help us to reveal the complex social and economic networks in which artists and institutions operate.