Leslie Buck, Designer of Iconic Coffee Cup, Dies at 87

The other thing I really enjoy reading besides political news are obituaries. Please don’t judge, I’m tired of hearing how morbid or eerie it is. There is just something about it that gives me a sense of calm and gives me the perspective and insight that only a subject like death can provide. The ones I find most fascinating though, are the ones of individuals who have unfortunately left us too early. The ones in their mid-twenties. “This could easily be me.” I say to myself. Suddenly, I am caught in a moment of self-reflection. The stories you read are often one of happiness and gratitude for a life well-lived and some are about a struggle and tragedy. Most of the time, they are just ordinary people with ordinary lives and ordinary stories.

Sometimes, they are seemingly unknown pop-culture icons. Sometimes it’s something like “The Anthora,” a cardboard coffee cup, which became the de facto standard to serving coffee in New York. It was designed by Leslie Buck, with strong Grecian design influences to appeal to the many Greek-owned coffee shops in New York at the time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/nyregion/30buck.html