Dr Pepper King of Beverages 1984 commemorative card

Dr. Pepper - King of Beverages

WACO, TX

DEC

1

1984

76706

*** OFFICIAL POSTMASTERS OF AMERICA COMMEORATIVE ISSUE ***

DR PEPPER

It was during the late 1800s in Virginia that a young pharmacy employee fell in love with his employer's daughter, a Miss Pepper. However, he was a mere soda-fountain worker, and his employer, a doctor, fired him to end the romance.

The young man went to Waco, Texas, landed another soda-fountain job and mixed new flavors to take his mind off his lost love. One mixture proved quite popular with the fountain's patrons and was promptly dubbed "Dr. Pepper" after the stern father who had thwarted Cupid.

A regular customer at the soda fountain was R.S. Lazenby, a beverage chemist who saw great promise in the new soft drink flavor. Lazenby spent two years testing, blending and experimenting, and on December 1, 1885 in Waco he formed a new company to put Dr. Pepper on sale commercially. To this day, the formula for his soft drink remained basically unchanged. But popularity in Waco, Texas is a long way from national fame, so in 1891 Lazenby and his associate W.B. Morrison commissioned an artist, Nellie Kellner, to produce a trademark.  The resulting "Wheat and Iron" logo was used for years before it was replaced by the name of the product in script with an underline reading King of Beverages. Numerous variations on the theme followed, supported by national advertising. Some logos including a depiction of a reclining lion, the king of beasts.

THE OFFICIAL AMERICAN ADVERTISING COVERS

COMMEMORATIVE SELECTION

© 1984 FPS
Printed in U.S.A.