Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company slides

Title

Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company slides

Date

1950-1961, undated (inclusive)

Extent

0.26 Cubic Feet

Subjects

Advertising.

Whiskey

Whiskey industry -- Kentucky

Bourbon whiskey.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.

Finding Aid Author

Sarah Coblentz

Preferred Citation

2009ms132.0938: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company slides, 1950-1961, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository

University of Kentucky

Biography / History

Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company was founded in 1935 with a partnership between distributor W.L. Weller & Sons, owned by Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr. and Alex T. Farnsley; and the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, owned by Arthur Phillip Stitzel. They were located in Shivley, a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky. At the distillery, they produced brands such as Old Fitzgerald, W. L. Weller, Old Weller, Weller's Cabin Still, and Rebel Yell. Stitzel-Weller was influential in supporting and promoting the production of wheated bourbon, substituting wheat in place of rye; and notable for frequently aging its spirits longer than the normal industry standards at the time. In June 1972, the facility was sold to Norton-Simon who officially changed the name to the Old Fitzgerald Distillery. By the end of the year, the facility closed, save the exception of some products such as Bulleit and Crown Royal continuing to be aged there. The facility changed owners over the years, including Guinness PLC, United Distillers, and its current owner Diageo. In 1992, the facility's name was changed back to the Stitzel-Weller Distillery; in 2014, the facility was reopened as a tourism attraction; and in 2017, Diageo restarted bottling Bulleit Bourbon at the site.

American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.

Source: Stitzel–Weller Distillery. (2020). Retrieved March 5, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stitzel–Weller_Distillery

Scope and Content

The Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company slides (dated 1950-1961, undated; 0.26 cubic feet; 633 items) comprises slides that document the promotional and advertising efforts of the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company to sell their products in the mid-twentieth century. The slides show stills of advertisements used by the company; items featured in the advertisements include Old Fitzgerald, Weller's Cabin Still, the Fitz Mist cocktail, bourbon decanters, and holiday packaging. The company used a variety of themes to sell their products, including royalty, dreams, being "on the wagon", and informative presentations. Additionally, there are slides that document the barrel making process by the Chess & Wymond Company, and a decanter show hosted by Stitzel-Weller in the 1960s.

The Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company slides collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to researchers by appointment.

Use Restrictions

The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.