George Washington's Coffee Ad – June 1919

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I enjoy writing about vintage advertising mascots. And this page (above) of the Lorain Times-Herald from June 20, 1919 – one hundred years ago this month – has a really offbeat one.

The advertisement is for G. Washington’s Coffee, which was an early instant coffee. Its mascot is an anthropomorphic can of the stuff. He’s in military garb because he’d been overseas during World War I, supplying the soldiers with an easy-to-prepare cup of coffee, (which they referred to as their ‘Cup of George’).

Here’s a closer look at the little guy.

You can read more about George Washington, the inventor (not the President) of the ‘prepared’ coffee here.

Anyway, as usual, there are other things of interest on the newspaper page, including ads for Whistle, McKee’s Shoes, the Boston Store, and a boat ride from Lorain to Put-in-Bay