See The Original Artwork Behind Famous Guinness Ads At The Dead Rabbit

Pretty much every Irish pub in the city decks its walls with old Guinness ads, the ones with slogans such as “My goodness my Guinness!” Those reproductions of classic beer ads are cute and all, but if you want to see the real art behind them, head over to The Dead Rabbit in Lower Manhattan. 

The famed authentic Irish pub has just opened an exhibit of original oil paintings and illustrations by English artist John Gilroy, who created iconic images for the beer brand from the 1930s through 1960s. Gilroy worked for the London ad agency S.H. Benson, where he created many of the famous images you see reproduced on the walls of Irish bars around the world. 

The artwork actually vanished after S.H. Benson closed, and was thought to be lost forever, but it reemerged in 2009 and was acquired by a gallery, which loaned the collection to The Dead Rabbit — adding even more cred following their acclaim of being the ”World’s Best Bar.” 

Gilroy, who died in 1985, was a graduate of the Royal College of Art, and was considered a commercial and artistic success, was known for his artistic wit and fine draughtsmanship. 

The paintings, which are also for sale if you’ve got a spare $25,000 to drop, will be up for at least a year, so you’ll be able to see them on St. Patrick’s Day, or any other occasion you want to stop by and tip a draught of Guinness while enjoying the famous draughtsmanship. 

photo: The Dead Rabbit