Our namesake, Behind the Beer, spawned a search for the story behind every pint. What began as an optimistic theory that there were plenty of stories waiting to be told quickly became an adventure as unexpected tales and subjects presented themselves. Take Farrier, the cooper in the Behind the Beer logo: On an internet blog site Glenn Golden stumbled upon the intriguing image of a laborer enjoying a pint after what appeared to be a long day’s work. The depth and mystery of the antique photograph was secondary to the character and substance reflected in the subject’s eyes. The portrait spoke, “Here is a man who is serious about his work, his life and his beer.” Because the image stirs the imagination readily, it seemed the perfect symbol of our vision to tell the stories below the surface and explore the host of ways beer enhances life. As we began the process of acquiring rights to incorporate the image into our logo, we were amazed to uncover evidence that there is even a story behind Farrier’s bygone pint.

Original photograph taken by William Henry Boyer: This photograph was the inspiration for the Behind the Beer website.

Few things could have prepared us for the excitement of our first conversation with Jim Sidery whose enthusiasm and personality radiated through the telephone line.

Glenn first contacted Deborah Saunders at The Centre for Kentish Studies in the United Kingdom. Ms. Saunders was delightful and worked diligently to provide us with contact information for Mr. E.J. Sidery, who owns the rights to a collection of over 3000 glass negatives taken by William H. Boyer in the 1870s. According to Ms. Saunders, Mr. Sidery routinely sells prints from the collection for around ₤10 each.

Few things could have prepared us for the excitement of our first conversation with Jim Sidery, whose enthusiasm and personality radiated through the telephone line. Mr. Sidery was interested in the Behind the Beer endeavor and quickly sent the necessary permission and payment instructions for us to use the “Old Time Beer Drinker” photo in our logo. In the package we found two, high-quality prints and a letter introducing us to “the man in the photograph, named Farrier, who was a cooper by trade.” Mr. Sidery went on to explain the significance of the coopers’ craft since the men who worked to make various casks, tubs and kegs met their customers’ requests through their skill and dexterity alone. No measurements were taken. These craftsmen defined “eyeballing it,” and since many coopers were paid by the item, they often specialized in a particular kind of cask to increase efficiency. It was perfect that the face of our endeavor could truly have been a part of the work “behind the beer” in the 19th century.

In subsequent conversations both by phone and over email, Jim Sidery told us about how he came into the Boyer collection of photographs. His father was a photographer by trade in the town of Sandwich, England, where William Boyer also worked as a photographer until his death in 1897. When Jim Sidery’s father retired in 1972, it was left to Jim to clean out the house. He knew there were old negatives of local scenes in the attic that might be of interest to contemporary audiences, so he searched through dust and cobwebs until he found the Boyer negatives in stacked wooden boxes. At this point he was not familiar with William Boyer but felt compelled to take the glass negatives home with him for further research and safe keeping. The captivating images led Mr. Sidery through history as he researched William Boyer and took a glimpse at 19th century life in Kent.

In a particular conversation regarding Glenn’s home brewing hobby, Jim Sidery talked about the once customary practice of working class citizens traveling to the hop fields of Kent on holiday to harvest the hops for extra money. He quipped that the hop farmers needed this labor and were happy to see the workers arrive, despite knowing all too well that the tumultuous bunch would drink away the day’s earnings in rowdy pubs each night. Of course, Mr. Sidery assured us that there are lovely pubs in the Kent and Cotswolds regions of England now, some of which he continues to visit on occasion. We like to think it is our duty to visit them on behalf of Behind the Beer and look forward to the day our venture can support European travel.

Armed with the validation of an intriguing photography tale and the charismatic new pen-pal behind Farrier’s pint, we raise a glass to Jim Sidery, the late William H. Boyer and to you. Here’s to all the coming adventures behind the beer. We hope you’ll join us.