A couple of weeks ago I opened the cabinet in the office kitchen to get a cup for tea. Usually the cups are some vague, gray, stippled design. But on this particular day, to my astonished delight, there was a batch of traditional New York City coffee cups—the iconic blue and white Greek motif. I realized that these once ubiquitous cups are now a rare sight in our gentrified Gotham. I took a Greek motif cup to keep next to other mementos on my desk.
Today in The New York Times, I read about the passing of the iconic cup’s designer. His name was Leslie Buck, né Lazslo Büch, a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He came to New York after the war, changed his name, and with his brother started Premier Cup, manufacturing paper cups. In the 60s, he joined the Sherri cup company, which wanted to gain major stake in the NY paper cup market. Mr. Buck realized that most diners were owned by Greeks and a design that hearkened to the Greek flag would be very appealing. The Anthora (yes, this icon has its own name!) was born. The rest, as they say, is history…Jewish history…American history…and possibly Greek history.
After reading the article, I turned over the memento cup on my desk and smiled…along the bottom inside rim it says Premier Cup.
May Mr. Buck’s memory be a blessing.
Today in The New York Times, I read about the passing of the iconic cup’s designer. His name was Leslie Buck, né Lazslo Büch, a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He came to New York after the war, changed his name, and with his brother started Premier Cup, manufacturing paper cups. In the 60s, he joined the Sherri cup company, which wanted to gain major stake in the NY paper cup market. Mr. Buck realized that most diners were owned by Greeks and a design that hearkened to the Greek flag would be very appealing. The Anthora (yes, this icon has its own name!) was born. The rest, as they say, is history…Jewish history…American history…and possibly Greek history.
After reading the article, I turned over the memento cup on my desk and smiled…along the bottom inside rim it says Premier Cup.
May Mr. Buck’s memory be a blessing.
Photo courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/presta/ / CC BY-NC 2.0
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3 comments:
It's great!!..................................................
Lisa, the Times obit was based on a family lore legend in the Buck family and it's cute and sweet, yes, i loved the obit too, but i found out via research that Mr Buck did not design the cup. You need to read my blog and update your post. I am not blaming the Buck family at all, all families have these kind of cute stories: i am blaming the reporter at the Times for not fact checking and vetting the story first. Then they put it on Page One. Now the world world believes the anthora cup was designed singlehandedly by Leslie Buck. It's a family story. It's not the truth. see...\
1. letter from NYTimes lawyer today to me: they ARE looking into this now.
Dear Mr. Bloom,
I am a lawyer at The New York Times Company. I understand that you
have questioned the accuracy of our recent obituary of Leslie Buck. I
am unaware of any basis for your claim of inaccuracy, and we believe
the story accurately sets forth the facts of Mr. Buck's life, but I
would be happy to review any information that you have to suggest the
article is inaccurate.
Sincerely,
xxxxx
Vice President & Assistant General Counsel
The New York Times Company
620 Eighth Ave.
New York, NY 10018
212-xxxxxx
On 5/2/10, Dan Bloom
>
>
> I found the smoking gun...sigh....I KNEW IT......Mr Buck, RIP, great
> man, but he did not design the anthora Cup of Inspiration
>
http://northwardho.blogspot.com/2010/05/leslie-buck-holocaust-survivor-and.html
>
> Question and ASnwer on NY Times website 1995....
>
> . What OR WHO inspired the Greek design on so many takeout coffee cups?
>
> ANSWER
>
> You're not talking about just any cup. That's the legendary Anthora,
> perhaps the most successful cup in history.
>
> Thirty years ago, the Sherri Cup Company of Kensington, Conn., in the
> 1960s, 1963 in fact, had just started and was trying to break into New
> York, the caffeine capital of the East Coast. "New York City was the
> theater we were playing," said Frank Fonteyn, marketing manager for
> the company.
>
> ****The design TEAM **** came up with Anthora, a cup aimed at
> Greek-Americans who ran many diners and delis in the city: Greek
> lettering, Greek bordering, Greek vase and the colors of the Greek
> flag -- blue and white. IT WAS NOT SINGLEHANDEDLY DESIGNED BY LESLIE
> BUCK AS HIS FAMILY CLAIMS.....
>
> can you update this....the TIMES obit was FIB
>
>
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Danny bloom wrote on Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust's Danny likes Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
Lisa
did you see my comment about Peter Kubicek and his MAy 16 docent tour at Met Museum on NYC and he is important Holocaust survivor who should be topic of a show one day, interview him please BEFORE HE DIES not after , can do?. email me at danbloom GMAIL
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