Perk Up! 1950s Napkin

Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee a day and is the world’s second most-traded commodity after oil. This charming little image of a coffee percolator was printed on napkins in coffee shops in the 1950s and was meant as a cheerful wake-up message. Percolators that cycle boiling water through coffee grounds were widely used at home and in businesses during this era. However, it took four to seven minutes for a percolator to start ‘perking,’ and the appliances had to be watched over and often produced a beverage with a bitter taste. Aggressive advertising in the 60s and 70s of electric drip machines offering more hands-off brewing and better beverage outcomes led to percolators plummeting in popularity. The history of coffee in the United States is an interesting one. Coffee was brought to the New World (now New York) by the Dutch. Drinking coffee became a patriotic act of defiance against British tea taxes after the 1773 Boston Tea Party when chests of tea were dumped in Boston Harbor to protest taxes and a monopoly on tea by the British owned East India Tea Company. President Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was known to consume a gallon of coffee a day and was rumored to have inspired the Maxwell House coffee slogan ‘good to the last drop.’ In 1864, the Arbuckle brothers started selling pre-roasted coffee in paper bags, revolutionizing access for Western settlers. Coffee was rationed in the United States from November 1942 until July 1943 to prioritize shipping for the war effort and support troops during WWII. With supplies limited by German U-boat attacks, civilians were limited to roughly one pound every five weeks, resulting in less than one cup per day. Later, it was reduced to one pound every six weeks. Civilians frequently stretched their coffee rations by reusing grounds – the nickname for this weak and caffeine-light drink was a Roosevelt coffee – or using alternatives like chicory or soy. Another option was drinking Postum, a caffeine-free, instant beverage made from roasted wheat bran and molasses and created in 1895. Coffee rationing ended in July 1943 when shipping lanes became safer, but other goods like sugar continued to be rationed. Stovetop percolators are back in fashion today thanks to their slow, ritualistic brewing process, their ability to brew strong, hot coffee and new electric models. For more about the history of coffee, this is an interesting read: https://www.pbs.org/food/stories/history-coffee Gallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson Ultrachrome HD archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing. Each order includes a print of the interior menu. All printed in USA.