March 15, 2012
Sherk donates beer labels to library
Larry Sherk, retired chief horticulturist at Sheridan Nurseries, was the focus of a recent Globe and Mail feature article.
Rather than Sherk’s horticulture expertise, the story outlined his impressive collection of beer labels. The Globe story revealed, “He is one of the world’s foremost brewerianists, a collector of beer stuff who over 40 years has amassed the country’s second-largest private collection of beer labels (about 3,000), many of which date to the late 1800s. For a beer label, that is practically prehistoric.”
Sherk, in an attempt to clear some space in his house, donated some of his collection to the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library at the University of Toronto. “The library immediately declared the labels of ‘outstanding significance’ and made them part of its paper-ephemera.” The library claims the labels are worth $125,000, and getting more valuable.
The Globe and Mail article is available online at http://bit.ly/beerlabels.
Rather than Sherk’s horticulture expertise, the story outlined his impressive collection of beer labels. The Globe story revealed, “He is one of the world’s foremost brewerianists, a collector of beer stuff who over 40 years has amassed the country’s second-largest private collection of beer labels (about 3,000), many of which date to the late 1800s. For a beer label, that is practically prehistoric.”
Sherk, in an attempt to clear some space in his house, donated some of his collection to the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library at the University of Toronto. “The library immediately declared the labels of ‘outstanding significance’ and made them part of its paper-ephemera.” The library claims the labels are worth $125,000, and getting more valuable.
The Globe and Mail article is available online at http://bit.ly/beerlabels.