The Fogg-Bottom Museum of Beer Photography

Rear Admiral Phineas Fogg-Bottom

Beer photography has its roots in the explosion of new avant garde art forms in the 1960s. Around the world, young artists were independently exploring photographic representations of alcoholic beverages, set in their natural environments. After several years, most photographers settled on beer as the natural medium of choice due to its bold, robust, and accessible character. I founded the Fogg-Bottom Museum of Beer Photography in 1972 with the mission of providing a home for the then-novel art form. At any given time, The Fogg-Bottom plays host to exhibitions from all of the major beer photographers, including O'Dowd, en Prost, Chavez-Ramirez y Borracho, L'Chaim, and Kun Pai. The photos below represent the pinnacle of beer photography. In them, the artists bring to full flower the representation of fine ales, lagers, and stouts in their natural environments. I hope you enjoy them, and I urge you to stop by The Fogg-Bottom on your next visit to San Francisco. To arrange a private tour of the entire collection, please e-mail me at beerphotos@fogwatch.com. Your Admiral, Rear Admiral Phineas Fogg-Bottom
Paradise Regained "Paradise Regained" is a series of photos that see beer photography emigrate west to the Hawaiian Islands. The series includes the first underwater beer photo ever taken. Go to page>>>
America's Heartland "America's Heartland" is a triptych of photos that represents an effort by beer photography pioneer Rusty O'Dowd to expand his palette from the western U.S. to the broad expanse of middle America. Go to page>>>
South o' the Line This series demonstrates the remarkable evolution of Hector Ramirez y Borracho, whose work illustrates the power of beer photography to amplify major social and historical trends in his home country, Mexico. Go to page>>>
September 11, 2001 This photo is dedicated to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. They will not be forgotten. Go to page>>>
The All-American Classics This series, by noted Montana beer photographer Rusty O'Dowd, represents some of the earliest work in alcohol-related photography. Most art historians credit O'Dowd with having originated the genre, and his work looks the part: big, raw, and unprincipled -- in other words, quintissentially American Go to page>>>
The Mysteries of the Orient Beer photography spreads to the Far East with this breathtaking brace of images from Shanghai artist Chao Kun Pai. Taken in the mid-1980s, Kun Pai's work not only has artistic merit in its own right, but also represents the changing political scene in China as a nation awakens. Go to page>>>
Holy Water The only extant photo from noted Israeli photographer Efraim L'Chaim. One of the brightest stars of the nascent beer photography movement, L'Chaim used his skills to point out the contradictions of life in his native Israel. Many art historians believe L'Chaim gave his live for his art. Go to page>>>