When the Maxwell House plant closed down in 1993,
a few members of the Museum tried mightily to rescue the Hoboken plant's
trademark coffee cup sign and its ever-flowing drops of coffee. The giant
work of neon art had illuminated the Hudson River for decades, illustrating
the company's slogan, "Good to the Last Drop." But the Museum
never received a reply from the retreating General Foods Company, and former
Maxwell House employees later told us the classic sign had been unceremoniously
destroyed.
Then the reports started to come in: "The last drop was saved;" "I know the guy who's got the last drop." This past fall we learned the stories were true: Former General Foods engineering manager Charles Moorman, who supervised the colossal cup's demolition, had retrieved the metal form for the smallest drop - a mere 12 feet high, three feet wide, and 200 - plus pounds -- and stored it in his Harrington Park backyard for six years -- until museum director Bob Foster and good pal Andy Turits risked serious back injury to return the drop home.With Billy Geib's trusty Mobilator van and a heave-ho from folks at the Moorman Homestead, the last drop was back in Hoboken. It awaits the restoration of its (expensive!) neon tubing and installation in our Museum space. We'll keep you informed.
article has been reproduced by permission of the Hoboken Historical Society
copyright 2000