Leslie Buck–the executive who designed the Anthora coffee cup–has died at age 87, reports The Times.
The paper-cup game, back in the day:
Leslie Buck joined Sherri Cup, then a startup, in the mid-’60s. Originally the company’s sales manager (for a time, he was its entire sales force), he later became its director of marketing.
Sherri was keen to crack New York’s hot-cup market. Since many of the city’s diners were owned by Greeks, Mr. Buck hit on the idea of a Classical cup in the colors of the Greek flag. Though he had no formal training in art, he executed the design himself. It was an instant success.
The Anthora was “as vivid an emblem of the city as the Statue of Liberty,” The Times adds. “Without the Anthora, Law & Order could scarcely exist.”
