Paper chase can unravel brewing history

December 16, 2004: A brewery historian is embarking on a paper chase to shed light on some of Britain's forgotten breweries.

Richard Symonds is trying to build up an archive, from the 1960s onwards, of paper brewery ephemera - items such as letters, compliments slips, invoices and business cards.

While there are many collectors chasing classic material, for instance from pre-war days, Richard is taking an interest in later pieces which can often end up consigned to the bins.

Richard said: "I am particularly interested in stuff from independent breweries from the 1960s onwards, and also modern micro breweries - particularly those
which have come and gone within the last two decades."

Modern micro brewery labels are high on the 'wants' list. "As with the letterheads, the older 'classic' labels seem to command good prices in the marketplace, but the micros seem to get somewhat neglected, and there have been over 500 opened up since the late 1970s; many, alas, closed again with little or no record of their passing. That, actually, is the main thrust of the archive - before it is too late!"

Richard can be contacted on e-mail at rsymonds@tinyworld.co.uk