The Campbell Brothers Winery and images to 2006.

I still find it a bit odd putting together the history of the Campbell Brother labels and having to do so in reverse order, earliest to latest, but in a way it's an appropriate way to visit that particular past.

There are, as it turns out, a number of major themes that run throught the stories. Some of them are:

Animals. For some reason our furry friends feature highly in our stories. There were often squirrels (sorry about the fishing joke) as in Upschitz and Gone With The Wind, mice as in Assimilation Wine, the rats of Atlantis, the sheep for the Rubber Boot album (and the reference in the Bottles story about Colin living with one), and, oh yes, an Orangutan for colour (Atlantis again) who was borrowed from the net.

Since Ralph and I have both become drivers for Greyhound Canada references to it appear in stories like the Bottles and Atlantis (including the bus we use as a boat).

For some reason women's apparel has become a theme, as in Pollice Verso and the Gypsy Curse.

Chili has appeared in a number of stories as well including the Bottles, Gone With The Wind, Dry Heaves, and Atlantis. It often had unpleasant characteristics.

And of course wine, often of a violent nature.

Images have indeed been 'borrowed' from a number of sources, often from the net. The thing to remember here is that these labels and stories were intended only to accompany the Christmas wine that Ralph and I make in order to give away to family, friends, and co-workers during this holiday season. It has never been meant for extensive circulation and has certainly never been done for profit (you wouldn't believe what we spend on this stuff now every year).

So why is it here on the net? As I believe I said earlier in the comments about this blog, I did it for my brother Ralph who I thought would really enjoy it.

Again, I hope you do too.