Vintage Americana Comes to Life at New Paul Stanley Museum in Los Angeles

September 11, 2025 at 14:08 PM EDT

News Source: Paul Stanley Sign Museum

Celebrating the Iconic Advertising Artistry Behind Hamm's Beer, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and More

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A forgotten genius of mid-century advertising is finally getting his due. The newly launched Paul Stanley Museum, opening in Los Angeles in 2026, will honor the legacy of Paul Stanley Company – the creative powerhouse behind some of America’s most beloved animated beer and soda advertising signs.

Paul Stanley Museum - Hamm's Beer Helicopter
Photo caption: Paul Stanley Museum – Hamm’s Beer Helicopter.

From the late 1940s through the late 1960s, Stanley’s whimsical, motorized displays were used as traveling point-of-sale merchandising units, bringing grocery and retail store aisles to life with dancing animals, bubbling beers, and twinkling lights. His unique designs for Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Hamm’s Beer, and Mother’s Cookies—often mistaken for mechanical toys—are now highly prized by collectors and historians alike.

Founded by Dr. Michael Miller, the museum will serve as the first public archive devoted entirely to Paul Stanley’s mechanical sign work. “This was advertising as kinetic sculpture,” says Miller. “Stanley’s artistry bridged engineering and charm—every piece told a story in motion.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COLLECTION INCLUDE:

The original Hamm’s Beer Bear rotating helicopter display (circa 1964)
A Pepsi-Cola “winking bottle” light-up sign with moving eyes
The rare Mother’s Cookies animated Cowboy; once placed in California grocery stores
Behind-the-scenes photographs and schematics of Stanley’s San Francisco workshop

The museum also aims to educate younger generations about the handmade ingenuity of pre-digital advertising. Through interactive exhibits, restoration demonstrations, and guided tours, visitors can experience how these pieces were built – gear by gear, bulb by bulb.

“We’re not just preserving signs,” Miller says. “We’re preserving a uniquely American moment—when retail displays came alive with lights, motion, and imagination.”

The Paul Stanley Museum is set to open in Spring 2026 in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

For press inquiries, interviews, or early access to the private collection, please contact Dr. Michael Miller at: contact@paulstanleymuseum.com.

ABOUT PAUL STANLEY COMPANY

Operating out of San Francisco from the late 1940s to the late 1960s, the Paul Stanley Company was known for creating animated point-of-purchase displays and lighted motion signs, especially for beverage and snack companies. While little was known about the company until recent years, surviving pieces have become legendary among collectors of vintage advertising memorabilia.

Website: https://www.paulstanleymuseum.com/

MULTIMEDIA:

Photo link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/25-0911-s3p-stanley-hamms-300dpi.jpg

Photo Caption: Paul Stanley Museum – Hamm’s Beer Helicopter.

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Paul Stanley Sign Museum), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/vintage-americana-comes-to-life-at-new-paul-stanley-museum-in-los-angeles/

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Vintage Americana Comes to Life at New Paul Stanley Museum in Los Angeles

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