Fuller Brush mug

Above is a promotional mug from the legendary Fuller Brush company, once known for it's door to door salesmen.  This mug sports an older logo and is probably from the mid 70's/early 80's.

Christmas mug

Happy Holidays. Stylized ornaments set a Christmas mood, circa 1977, on this coffee mug from the mail order merchandiser Lillian Vernon. 

Ohio mug

Earth shoes meet Juan Valdez in this souvenir mug from Ohio. The disco script type and trail of stars clearly marks this as a relic from the 70's. The back has the State bird ( cardinal), the state flower (carnation) and a sailboat ( the state boat?) illustrated on it.

Virginia Road Builders Association mug

Although the logo has a nice WPA feel, I'm guessing this coffee mug was made in the 50s or 60s. The owner of this mug was maybe more of a communal type and opted out of claiming ownership on the backside of it.

Frank's mug

Another personalized coffee mug.  I was attracted to this one mainly for the questions that it raises, like, why was Frank so possessive about his mug? Did everyone else in Frank's family have their own checkered coffee mug? And, what's the connection between Frank and red checked patterns- did he just really like picnics??

Hawaii mug 2

A trip back to the South Pacific with this Hawaii mug that features some nice brush work on the front. As souvenir mugs go this one is top shelf.  A personalized brushscript note saying "Aloha Mom. Pearl" is on the back. What are the odds of Pearl's last name being Harbor?

Webster 2002 mug

Black coffee only for this industrial mug!   Webster thoughtfully included a handy conversion chart on the back of this mug ( 1psig = 27.71" wc=2.036" Hg, 1 Gallon = 8.33 Pounds  and 1 Kilowatt = 3,412 Btu/hr) as a handy reminder for their java loving (but sometimes forgetful?) employees.

San Antonio mug

If the 70's were a blend of coffee it might be served up in a retro 'souvenir' mug like this.

Sweet Adelines 1974 mug

Sweet Adelines seems to be the name of a woman's a cappella organization. What they have to do with sailboats I don't know. What I do know is I like this coffee mugs hand drawn art. The rope frame is great and the tilted hull on what looks like a fairly flat sea makes it look like "the little sailboat that could".

Hawaii mug

Never mind the beaches, volcanos, surfing and hula dancers, this coffee mug has one focus- palm trees! A quick glance at this mug makes it clear that Hawaii has lots of them. The manufacturers logo sticker on the bottom even has a palm tree on it.

Indian mug

This coffee cup is smaller than most, but features a bold design.  The stylized indians do their java dance around the entire mug, and the squared off handle adds a nice rustic touch.

Mister Donut mug

This coffee mugs got it all. A great logo featuring the iconic Mister Donut with his stylishly askew chef's hat, retro lettering, and a sleek Googie inspired mug design. Mister Donut lost the battle of the donut chains to Dunkin Donuts, but definitely competed with flair.

Colorado State mug

It's hard not to start humming John Denver's Rocky Mountain High when looking at this coffee mug. The stylized 'C',  black pedestal base and sunset gradation combine to give it a rad 70's vibe man.

University of Suburban Propane mug

They may not have a football team, school mascot, debate club, or school song, but graduates of U of S.P. do get this handsome mug as proof that when it comes to gas they've made the grade!

Worths Department Store mug

As stated on this elegant mug , Worths Departments stores were "Where Fashion Comes First". The back featured a list of their nine area locations, making it easier to figure out which store to swing by to pick up that polyester jumpsuit or suede safari jacket.

Massachusetts mug

It may be the Bay State, but the stylized musket and hat are iconic reminders of the States first tourists- who probably preferred a morning cuppa tea to start their day. 

Miss National Pre-Teen Pageant mug

The artwork on this commemorative pageant mug from 1990 looks more like it came out of a 1970's clip art catalog- which really isn't too surprising.  Stars, bunting, a cheerleader, and an outlined U.S. all help to remind us whose pageant it is!

Royal Dining Room & Cocktail Lounge mug

Diners were treated like royalty at the Royal Dining Room where their coffee was literally served on a pedestal, or at least in a pedestal mug. A coat of arms on the back of the mug confirms the Dining Room's distinguished lineage to the Royal Motel.

Bowling mug

Function follows form in this striking (sorry couldn't resist) hand-painted bowling themed coffee mug. The 3 dimensional bowling ball and pin make a lousy handle, but sure are a clever touch. 

Miller's Furniture & Sleep Centers mug

Mad Men, Season 3 starts tonite. I envision this- The Miller Furniture execs hate the surreal, Dali inspired mattress ads and new logo that Sterling Cooper is 'pitching'. Draper strolls into the meeting, sells them on the ads and lets them keep the brush-script logo!  The 'suits' swoon, scotch is poured, ceramic mugs clink in a toast. Draper exits.

Florida mug

There are a lot of things to like about this coffee mug, including the shape, the tropical spot art, the colors and even the way the brown trim at the top got carried over to the handle- adding just a touch of mass produced indifference to that morning cup of Joe.

New post next Sunday

Honeybee's Pancake House mug

Here's a nice looking mug from a joint called Honeybee's Pancake House that features a bee that not only runs, but also has arms and hands- I guess the better to hold up those batter encrusted wings.

New post next Sunday

American Filtrona mug

This mug for AFC (a manufacturer of "filter and bonded fibre") seems to have been given out to thank faithful employees for sticking around for 5 years." Thanks, here's a mug. Now back to work."

New post on Sunday

Welcome to the Weekly Mug Shot

In the spirit of such great sites as Skull-A- Day, Painting -A- Day , and Soviet Poster -A- Day comes a slightly less ambitious entry. A site of weekly coffee mug posts- that's right coffee mugs! As Frank might sing, "Man, I've got a whole gang of coffee mugs...", and where better to put some of them than the digital display shelf known as the internet? 

The mugs range from the imprinted kind that companies hand out to promote their wares (my favorites), to colorful State souvenir mugs, to some quirky novelty ones. After serving time in a kitchen cabinet, or as a desktop pencil holder, these ceramic cups share a common fate- they inevitably end up on a flea market bargain table or stacked on thrift store shelves, both places where I've found many of mine.

The first 'mug shot' will go up on Monday.