Bottle, Root Beer c. 1936

Curator: Well, hello! We are looking at Charles Caseau's "Bottle, Root Beer" made around 1936 with watercolors. Editor: It’s wonderfully quaint! A simple, unpretentious drawing, but those warm, earthy tones give me a feeling of old-fashioned comfort. The shape and that brown... is it supposed to be pottery? Curator: I think it's deliberately styled like that to emulate an antique container. Root beer at this time, after all, would be presented as home-brewed, linked to simpler times even as mass production was already well underway. Notice the word "Post" printed onto it in elegant calligraphy; rather refined advertising, really. Editor: Ah, so even the faux-rustic presentation is curated for effect? And yes, the wordmark does feel very carefully drawn. I keep thinking of nostalgia… like looking back on a past that might not even be real. Does the “Post” allude to something specific? Curator: I’m not entirely certain. It could be a regional brand that no longer exists. Root beer labels themselves are artifacts that echo the cultural context of early Americana through both marketing, production and social histories of food culture, as they have the potential to be highly localized or regional products. But one can guess this was designed during an economic depression when simpler values were becoming desirable among consumers. Editor: It’s funny how a humble root beer bottle becomes this vessel brimming with historical associations. That logo whispers stories of entrepreneurship, local economies, and perhaps even a dash of self-mythologizing. Curator: Exactly. What Caseau captures with his watercolors reflects something more than just the product. It is the symbol of simpler, localized consumption patterns. Editor: That subtle narrative layered within what at first seemed a basic illustration makes me view Caseau's piece with new eyes. Curator: Agreed. It’s always surprising where a simple drawing can take you once you understand its relationship to our society’s narratives.