vLESTERS continued from page 23 Kansas. It was Trowbridge who awakened the new focus on collecting bock posters for Bill. Trowbridge loved the dark bock beer and the bock art as well. He had a remarkable bock poster collection that Bill greatly admired. Both men were infatuated with the strong colors, and remarkable, imaginative images, unique to bock beer advertisements. Over the course of 25 years, until Trowbridge’s passing, the two men shared and traded many posters, and attended many club shows together. Many of Trowbridge’s posters have gone on to be cherished items in Bill’s collection. The Lesters’ collection has a total of 250-260 posters, and dozens of one-of-a kind items that makes them especially precious. The three main American companies that created most of the poster designs were, Donaldson, Philipp – Schultz, and Gamse Lithographing. Bill’s oldest dates back to 1873. A fun, unusual poster that immediately catches the eye on the Lesters’ wall, depicts the artistic styling of Theodor Seuss Geisel, fondly known as Dr. Seuss. Seuss came from a brew making family in Massachusetts and after the end of prohibition, found work commissioning ads for various companies such as Narragansett Brewing Company in Rhode Island during the 1940’s. This was before his big break writing and illustrating his beloved children’s books. Bill credits Tammy for doing 90% of all the matting and framing of the collection. “If it weren’t for Tammy, I probably wouldn’t have so many posters because I couldn’t afford to frame them. Framing is expensive!” The Lesters have made many friends by being involved in national collector clubs. These are the BCCA: Brewery Collectibles of America and the ABA: American Brewery Association. There are chapters of these national clubs throughout the country. Currently, the Lesters are members of affiliates in Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. These organizations host shows where members can share favorite parts of their collections with other clubs and invite the public. All kinds of beer related collectibles are available for sale. The shows are fun opportunities for the club community to get together to enjoy their favorite hobby. There are many shows available throughout the country and the year for people interested in seeing examples of the past preserved and revered. The Lesters favorite show is held every spring and fall in Omaha, Nebraska. A bonus for the public, is that participating collectors often have the knowledge of historians when it comes to their collections. Tammy says going to the shows is a great way for beginning collectors to find items, make friends and learn. She mentions a club chapter called “The Rusty Bunch Club” that go to many shows and usually have a huge pile of old beer cans that members have donated to give away. Bill suggests searching online at websites such as www.bcca.com for information about joining a club or upcoming events. The hobby of collecting is a passion the Lesters have shared throughout their 26 year marriage. They have moved a lot and have always joined local clubs wherever they went. As we all know, moving is a lot of work. It took months for the Lesters to pack all their precious items, and months more for Bill to perfectly place each piece into its new location. They feel for now that Yankton will be their forever home, but Bill proudly proclaims, “We can go anywhere and have a place to stay and a cold beer to drink!” n Expert health care FOR ALL AGES Amanda Duxbury, MD, Heather Kleeman, DO, Mary Jo Olson, MD, Anastasia Searcy, DO, and Fernando Escobar, MD Make a personal, lifelong connection with the physicians at Sanford Vermillion. Our team specializes in preventive care, diagnosis and management of chronic conditions and general surgery need. Call (605) 677-3700 to schedule an appointment. 018027-00342 Rev. 10/18 24vHERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2019