Harvard Export Beer Flat Top Can

Harvard Export Beer Flat Top Can

Dating to 1938, this flat top container represents an early era of American canned beer packaging for the Harvard Brewing Company of Lowell, Massachusetts. The can features a 1938 copyright caption and carries an option tax statement, cataloged under entry 386 in standard reference guides for opening-instruction cans. Visually, the face of the can features the bold script Harvard brand name, a top banner reading "FULLY AGED," and a serrated red circular emblem displaying a pennant flag with the initial "H" above the "HARVARD TRADE MARK" text. The lower portion prominently designates the brew as "EXPORT BEER" above a red trim band with the "CONTENTS 12 FLUID OZS." measurement.

Harvard Export Beer served as one of the brewery's primary flagship lagers in the early twentieth century. Positioned as a refined, well-conditioned beer, the brand highlighted traditional craftsmanship and thorough aging to compete with regional New England rivals. Over subsequent decades, the Export line went through various label redesigns—including later post-war green-label iterations—before the brand was eventually retired following mid-century industry shifts.

The brewery itself began operations in Lowell in 1893 under the name Consumers' Brewing Company before adopting the Harvard Brewing Company name in 1898. By the 1910s, it had grown into one of the largest brewing and bottling operations in New England. During Prohibition, the company struggled while manufacturing near-beer and soft drinks, becoming the center of national attention in 1925 when a massive federal raid occurred following the interception of illegal full-strength barrels. The brewery modernized and reopened in 1933 following Repeal, enjoying two productive decades before rising competition forced a sale in the 1950s, at which point brewing operations were moved out of Lowell.

Among breweriana collectors, pre-World War II flat top cans from Massachusetts are celebrated historical artifacts. As an opening-instruction era flat top from the late 1930s, this can serves as an enduring reminder of New England's regional brewing heritage.