Arbuckle. “Missouri.”

“Missouri.”  

New York: Arbuckle Bros. Coffee Company, 1889.  Ca. 3 x 5.  Chromolithograph by Donaldson Brothers.  Very good condition.

A delightful map issued by the Arbuckle Bros. Coffee Company.  This firm was founded by John and Charles Arbuckle of Pittsburgh, PA.  They developed a machine to weigh, fill, seal and label coffee in paper packages, which allowed them to become the largest importer and seller of coffee in the world.  Their most famous promotional program involved the issuing of several series of small, colorful trading cards, one of which was included in every package of Arbuckle’s Coffee.  These series included cards with sports, food, historic scenes, and—one of the most popular—maps.  The latter cards included not only a map, but also small illustrations “which portrays the peculiarities of the industry, scenery, etc.” of the region depicted.  This series proved so popular went first issued in 1889 that the firm came out with a second, updated series in 1915. 

The Arbuckle brothers patented a method of preserving the roasted flavor on coffee by coating the beans with egg white & sugar and then selling in bags. "Arbuckle" came to be a generic term for coffee.  Lithography by the Donaldson Company.