The Gugler Lithographic Company was founded in Milwaukee in 1878 by German immigrant Henry Gugler and his two sons, Julius and Henry Jr. The Guglers started small, printing letterhead and checks for businesses. The firm gained a national audience when they landed Pabst Brewing Company as client. Gugler printed the brewing giant’s product labels, stationery, and promotional materials such as posters and showcards. By World War II, Gugler was one of Wisconsin’s largest operating printing companies, printing everything from food can labels to billboards for a local and national clientele. The company remained a family business for nearly 80 years until 1956 when Ralph Gugler died. In 1966, the firm was acquired by Journal Communications, and by 2005 the Gugler brand ceased to exist at all.
The Milwaukee Public Library is proud to have 1,136 posters printed by the Gugler Company, and a set of Gugler sample books dating from 1891 through 1944. These materials can be viewed by appointment at Milwaukee’s Central Library, and there is an ongoing project to digitize this collection for researchers to access online.
