Lagerposter

Lagerposter is a term used in advertising and design history to describe posters that promote lager beer. The category is defined more by subject matter and production context than by a single artistic style, and it encompasses a broad range of regional outputs from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century. Lager posters were produced by breweries, advertising agencies, and printers, and they circulated in pubs, railway stations, billposting networks, and trade fairs. Printing techniques commonly included lithography and chromolithography, sometimes with hand coloring, which allowed for bright colors and large formats.

Design characteristics vary by region but often emphasize clear, legible typography and an immediate visual appeal. Imagery typically features beer glassware, pouring scenes, and images of sociability or enjoyment. Some posters foreground brand names and slogans, while others rely on evocative scenes or cultural associations with beer. The visual language of lager posters contributed to the rise of mass-market advertising and the normalization of beer drinking in public spaces.

In collecting and scholarship, lagerposter is used as a practical shorthand to discuss posters of that genre, enabling comparisons of technique, typography, and iconography across time and geography. Contemporary appreciation emphasizes print quality, color, and the historical insight such posters offer into consumer culture and urban life of their era.