Wake Up and Smell the September Celebration Day!

September 25, 2025

September brings us many varieties of celebration days but I was on the hunt for one that really spoke to me. I found it! September 29 is National Coffee Day. Whether you are a coffee aficionado, a run-of-the-mill enjoyer of, or hate it with a passion, there’s no denying that coffee is a staple for many Americans.

I came to love coffee later in life (my 40s); prior to that, coffee was only enjoyed on occasion in the form of an iced or blended coffee beverage that was more flavoring and fillers than coffee. Truly introduced to the beverage in its natural state by my husband, I now enjoy an (almost) daily cup or two of joe. Enjoy the journey through some of our imagery featuring coffee.

Ad card for Morning Joy Coffee, ca. 1890; Ad card, front and back, for Banner Coffee, ca. 1890
Ephemera Collection, Advertising Cards, IHS

I will not delve into the history of coffee production. However, I would like to highlight some of the advertising that goes into preparing and making available the beans for the beverage for purchase. A couple of examples from our collection are some advertising cards. First, we have a lovely dog on a rocking chair, highlighting Morning Joy Coffee. This 1890s card features a New Orleans brand sold widely in Indiana groceries. Banner Coffee, produced by the Indiana Coffee Company in the 1890s, included “a beautiful Picture Card in every package,” such as the one shown. The image has nothing to do with coffee, but allowed the purchaser a pretty memento with their important purchase.

Vivian Silvers models sipping a cup of Farmers Pride Coffee, 1930. Martin Collection, IHS.

Another advertising tactic was to show someone enjoying the drink. Above model Vivian Silvers sips Farmers Pride Coffee in 1930. Farmers Pride was an offshoot brand under the Hulman & Company of Terre Haute, probably best known for their Clabber Girl products.

Coffee Coolerz and Trading for coffee and tobacco between fortified lines during a truce, studies by Edwin Forbes in his book Life Studies of the Great Army, 1876/1890; Tintype titled ‘On the Potomac, 1861’. IHS, P0345; IHS, P0341.

Obviously, one of the biggest selling points for coffee is drinking it. Coffee’s abundance and easy access to a supply haven’t always been a given. During the Civil War, coffee was one of those commodities much sought after by the soldiers. Shown here are a few drawings and photos from the time that highlights the camaraderie shared over a campfire, brewing some up, and the importance of finding others with a supply that may be willing to trade you for some. Their letters home, included below, also showed their need, use, and the cost of the commodity.

Civil War letters of James H. Henderson, December 1862; Samuel E. Sneier, June 1863; James N. Chamberlain, July 1865. Amber Hiscock, IHS (cropped and excerpted); IHS, SC2491 (cropped and excerpted); IHS, 2872 (cropped and excerpted).

So many other coffee-related materials can be found in our digital collection. I encourage you to take a peek and see if any of them stand out to you. You’ll find people enjoying the hot beverage at parties, political events, and more, as well as others mentioning the drink in their letters home, and so much more. Please check out our other blogs this month and beyond on the IHS blogsite. I’m off to enjoy another cup of joe for the day.

Amy Vedra is the director of reference services. As an avid reader, she reads as many books as possible annually (all books count: audio, e, and print)!

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