Maxwell House advertisement from unknown magazine (probably Life) featuring a painting by Paul Sample, "Maple Sugaring"

Label

This magazine ad uses Paul Sample’s Maple Sugaring to associate coffee’s traditional role in America with the nostalgia of maple sugaring. In this early spring scene, a group of men collect sap and prepare two horses to transport supplies, evoking the sturdy utility of traditional processes and hard manual labor. Behind the cabin, the barren mountain landscape stretches into the horizon and portrays the self-reliance of the community.The smoke from the chimney and the sugar shack’s rustic exterior suggest an uncomfortable experience within. However, the apparent coziness of the farmhouse down the road beckons, perhaps as a reward for the men’s labor. Below, the text associates Maxwell House Coffee with an evocation of rural America and its winter staples, such as maple syrup.

From the 2024 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 118, Coffee and Tea in Art: A Brew of Cultural Symbolism, Solace, and Introspection, curated by Jeffrey Liu ‘24, Class of 1954 Intern

Exhibition History

A Space for Dialogue 118, Coffee and Tea in Art: A Brew of Cultural Symbolism, Solace, and Introspection, Jeffrey Liu '24, Class of 1954 Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, May 11 - July 7, 2024

Provenance

Ebay, Inc., San Jose, California; sold to present collection, 2011.

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Subjects