Poster, “Wine Land of America”

Description:

This poster produced in 1965 was one in a series based on original artwork by Amado Gonzalez, a Mexican-born artist who taught at San Francisco’s City College. Featuring symbols of the wine industry—a large, oval wine cask, a bottle and glass of red wine, grapes, rolling vineyards, and a cellar key, the poster proclaimed California to be the “Wine Land of America.” Such posters were shown at trade fairs and wine events to promote the emerging, revitalized California wine industry.

Although the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 meant that California winemakers were back in business, selling their product to American consumers proved to be a significant challenge. Many of the wines that first appeared on the market after 1933 were fortified wines—high in alcohol, sweet, and cheap—while wines imported from Europe were seen as luxuries for the rich, not intended for the average middle-class table. Other consumers continued to reject wine for moralistic reasons, or because they viewed it as a foreign beverage.

Established in 1938, California’s Wine Advisory Board set out to challenge these conventional attitudes and promote wine as a positive addition to the American table. Advertisements produced by the Board during the 1950s and ‘60s reflect this effort, with slogans that encouraged consumers to embrace wine as part of an all-American meal. The Board also commissioned a series of colorful posters in the 1960s to promote California and its wines.

Date Made: 1965

Subject: Wine

Subject:

See more items in: Work and Industry: Food Technology, Food, FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000

Exhibition: Food: Transforming the American Table

Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 2012.0126.01Catalog Number: 2012.0126.01Accession Number: 2012.0126

Object Name: poster

Physical Description: paper (overall material)Measurements: overall: 28 3/16 in x 21 15/16 in; 71.59625 cm x 55.72125 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-8a8a-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1424366

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.