Unidentified man drinking Bass Pale Ale

A carte-de-visite portrait of an unidentified man enjoying a bottle of Bass Pale Ale.

Founded in 1877 at Burton-on-Trent by William Bass, a century later the Bass Brewery had become the world's largest brewery, with an annual output of one million barrels. Its leading brand was Bass Pale Ale, which was once the highest-selling beer in the UK.

The company's distinctive triangular logo was the first trademark to be registered under the new Trade Mark Registration Act of 1875. Legend has it that the company had an employee queue all night outside the registrar's office in order to be the first to register a trademark the following morning.

Photographer and location unidentified.