H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. est. 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

Cleveland, Ohio. Cardboard lithography printer credited on a Hoffmann-Hayman grocer counter/window sign — the “Fragrant…” design, showing a painted keywind-era H and H Blend tin, an illustrated rose, and an H AND H COFFEE banner with “Hoffmann-Hayman Est. 1899 Co.” and “We roast it — others praise it.” The printer credit, “Continental Litho. Corp. Cleveland,” appears directly in the lower-right margin of the surviving example (HH-COLL-2019-0003). A “NO. 2” stock mark on the same piece implies a numbered run of related counter-card designs, of which only this one has surfaced.

Dating is bracketed by the artifact itself rather than by any company record: the keywind tin style places production after c.1930, and the “Est. 1899” legend (rather than a Continental Coffee division credit) places it before the 1962 Continental Coffee acquisition. No company file or independent history exists for Continental Litho beyond this single credited artifact — nothing is known here about when the firm operated, who else it printed for, or how the H&H commission came about.

Not to be confused with Continental Coffee Company (Chicago) — an unrelated firm that acquired Hoffmann-Hayman in 1962. The shared “Continental” name is coincidental.

Open questions

  • Continental Litho’s own corporate history — founding, years active, other clients — is entirely undocumented here.
  • Whether the “Fragrant…” design on the 1929 employee-photo billboard (HH-COLL-2018-0003) is a supersized execution of this same Continental Litho counter-card design; if so, the motif predates the c.1930+ dating the cardboard sign alone supports.
  • What other stock numbers exist in the same counter-card run (only “NO. 2” is documented).
  • Whether a trade directory or printing-industry reference could date the Continental Litho–H&H relationship more precisely.

See also