The Wells & Hope Company was established by John F. Hope and Joseph Lewis Wells in 1845 and was located in Philadelphia, PA. The Wells and Hope Company was known for their production of lithographs specialized in metal signs, glass, and mirror advertisements. Among these signs were large and small, embossed, curved and flat, full color as well as black, gold, and silver “shield signs”. The term “shield signs” refer to the die-cut shield-shaped metal signs that were popular at the time. The glass and mirrored signs that Wells Hope produced usually had chipped “scalloped” edges and had reverse-painted or mirrored graphics.

Breweries in particular took a liking to the style of signs that Wells Hope Company was producing and contracted them to create signs that advertise both their brewery as well as their products. The Wells & Hope Co. made various curved and flat embossed metal signs for breweries like Reading, Barbey’s Inc., Sunshine, Deppen, Lauer, Yuengling, Flock, Stegmaier, F. A. Poth, Bergner & Engel, Anheuser-Busch, Niagara Falls, Narragansett, Quandt, Queen City, Jung, Leinenkugel, Hudepohl, Buckeye, Eldredge, and National just to name a few.

Wells and Hope Co. was active up until the early 1890s era and eventually closed in 1907.