H and H Coffee

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

This page is the collection’s want list – artifacts, printed matter, and photographs tied to the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Company of San Antonio that we are actively trying to acquire or document. If you own, have seen, or have a lead on any of the items below, please get in touch. Even a clear photograph of an item we cannot buy helps fill out the online gallery.

Texas Girl Coffee Poster Broncho Coffee Tin Crystalvac with Label H and H 1-pound Bags Reference photo — commercial drum roaster (archive print) 1932 Express-News — Crystalvac cutout halftone (detail) 1923 San Antonio Light — New Home spread with hand-roaster art 1932 San Antonio Light — Delaware Street plant rendering 1932 Express-News — Crystalvac launch page
Reference gallery (/galleries/reference/) photographs first, then newspaper pages or clippings where the story only exists in print—not every slide is the exact missing variant

Most Wanted

The headline list is organized so a collector, picker, or researcher can scan quickly. Everything in this section is not currently in the collection — either we have never seen a physical example, or we are still missing a specific size, label, or variant.

How to read the pictures: Prefer photographs and ephemera from the Reference gallery (dealer photos, show-field shots, archival finds we do not own). When there is no reference still, use newspaper pages or crops from the Newspaper gallery. Figures help you recognize type, packaging shape, and scale; they are not proof that the specific gap is already filled in San Antonio.

Holy Grail

Original Hoffmann / H and H hand roaster

Reference — drum roaster print (archive stack adjacent to H and H prints)

Reference — commercial drum roaster print from the Reference gallery (same stack as other H and H–adjacent sheets); not the Hoffmann shop roaster, but a type reference.

1923 San Antonio Light spread — plant insets, portrait, and hand-roaster cut labeled ORIGINAL H AND H HAND ROASTER

Newspaper — the 20-pound capacity machine labeled ORIGINAL H AND H HAND ROASTER appears as line art on the 1923 San Antonio Light spread The new home of a great institution.

1935 Express-News — shack, first roaster, Wm. R. Hoffmann portrait

Newspaper — the 1935 Express-News feature Mighty business oak from tiny roaster grows photographs the first roaster from the Spahn-bakery / East Commerce start-up years. We do not know whether either physical machine survives; any lead, photograph, sale notice, or family story tying a drum or frame to Hoffmann-Hayman would be extraordinary.

Replica Crystalvac jar on the 601 Delaware plant

Newspaper — 1932 San Antonio Light Delaware Street plant rendering (roof line discussed in article)

Newspaper only (no rooftop replica photo in Reference yet) — 1932 press described a large H and H Crystalvac container on the roof of the new 601 Delaware Street factory, visible for blocks — see San Antonio Light, 24 July 1932. Clear period photographs of the installed rooftop replica remain a priority; any lead after removal—scrap-yard photos, salvage, or family collections—would document a signature Delaware Street advertising piece.

Priority Finds

Crystalvac cutout display

Newspaper crop — 1932 Express-News halftone, Cutout display of H and H Crystalvac Coffee

Newspaper crop (also catalogued in Reference) — halftone art from the 6 June 1932 Express-News H and H Coffee Is Now Vacuum Packed (Cutout display of H and H Crystalvac Coffee.); no photograph of the physical standee. Full page 7 in the Newspaper gallery. We have not located the physical cutout; a surviving cardboard or board standee, dealer photo, or auction listing would document rare 1932 launch merchandising.

Texas Girl Coffee, Tin

Texas Girl poster — same brand vocabulary as litho tins

Retail one-pound (or other) lithographed tin with Texas Girl trade dress. The museum holds posters and sacks in this identity but not a closed retail tin in the Texas Girl line—see Texas Girl Coffee.

Texas Girl Coffee, 1 pound bag

Reference — Texas Girl one-pound paper bag (Mac Johanson collection)

Reference — unused one-pound Texas Girl sack from the Reference gallery.

H and H and Texas Girl large sacks — wholesale / display context

Collection photograph — large sacks for the same brand family (different format than the one-pound retail bag).

Broncho Coffee Pail

Broncho three-pound tin — pail format wanted for wire-bail pail

Cylindrical pail with Broncho vignette and wire bail — the museum documents the three-pound tin; a pail with the same brand remains sought.

Crystalvac Jar, Large, Clear Glass, Wire Handle, Embossed Lid, Paper Label

One-pound clear Crystalvac with full paper label

Large-format square jar, clear glass, wire handle, embossed metal lid, paper label — a specific Crystalvac finish combination still missing beside jars already in the Crystalvac narrative.

Crystalvac Jar, Small, Three Rivers Amber Glass, Paper Label

Reference — one-pound H and H Blend Crystalvac, clear and amber labeled (Mac Johanson)

Reference — clear and amber one-pound Crystalvac jars with full labels (Reference); shows the amber glass family we still need in additional small sizes.

Contrast — unrelated small Kork-N-Seal bottle (Virginia find)

Contrast — small threaded jar from another line (illustrates scale, not an H and H attribution).

H and H Coffee, 1 pound or 2 pound bag

Stack of vintage one-pound H and H paper bags

Retail paper bags in the H and H Coffee (not only Blend) identity—one- or two-pound formats called out in wholesale and retail lists.

H and H Vanilla Extract

Small bottle or carton with H and H Vanilla Extract copy and San Antonio attribution — no sample image on file; compare layout language on H and H Extracts.

H and H Extract of Lemon

Same family as vanilla — labeled bottle with Extract of Lemon and Hoffmann-Hayman marks.

H and H Brand Dutch Lunch Mustard

Tin or jar with Dutch Lunch Mustard brand line — illustrated in some period grocery spreads; not yet accessioned here.

H and H Cocoa

Newspaper crop — 1923 Light, cocoa from spices & extracts spread (no reference tin photo yet)

Newspaper crop — pack art from the 1923 Light quality spread; 1924-era retail tins (3½ oz, 8 oz) per reference lists — H and H Cocoa.

Border Pail

Border Premium pail — reference shelf shot (Alamy) showing cup-and-saucer premium cartouche

Border Brand pail with wire bail — the museum still seeks a pail in hand; the Border Coffee page and this reference photograph show the premium side cartouche we are trying to match.

Three Rivers Glass Company Promotional Calendar, 1932

Reference — Three Rivers Glass Co. large promotional wall calendar, April 2017 glass show

Reference — 1931-dated Three Rivers Glass Co. wall calendar photographed at the collectors’ weekend (Reference); closest match on site to the 1932 calendar still sought.

Collection — Delaware Punch bottle (Three Rivers glass era)

Collection — Delaware Punch bottle for supplier-era typography context (not a calendar).

Coffee Brands Not Yet in the Collection

No accessioned retail package has been photographed in this museum’s gallery for these identities. Period advertisements, labels, or dealer photographs close the gap until tins arrive.

Reference — Anita Brand Peaberry Blend three-pound pail, Witte Museum visit

Reference — Western Anita Brand pail staged at the Witte (also Reference).

Newspaper — 1937 Bastrop Advertiser, H and H Anita line

Newspaper — 1937 Bastrop Advertiser facsimile from Anita Coffee research.

  1. Anita Coffee — Western “Anita Brand” trade dress; reference three-pound Peaberry pail photographed at the Witte — we still want in-house photos of bags or tins.
  2. Big Dime Coffee (10-cent packages) — Dime-store price point line named in wholesale lists; no packaging photographed here.
  3. Cafe Coffee (introduced 1932) — Depression-era introduction alongside Delaware plant publicity; tin or bag with Cafe brand block wanted.
  4. Double H Coffee, 1 pound package — 1917 wholesale notice and later lists; one-pound bag or tin with Double H panel.
  5. Fancy Peaberry Coffee, 1 pound carton — Carton format (not tin) for the Fancy Peaberry line.
  6. Juanita Coffee — Frequent in market columns; labeled can still sought.
  7. Menger Hotel Coffee 1 pound Tin — Hotel sub-brand; one-pound litho tin with Menger Hotel copy.
  8. Menger Peaberry Coffee 1 pound Tin — Companion to postcard quartet art; one-pound tin not yet in gallery.
  9. Misa Coffee — 1914–1916 newspaper art; carton or can with MISA ladder mark.
  10. Spoon Coffee — Spoon brand block; tin, bag, or pail.
  11. Texco Coffee — Regional line in price lists; any labeled package.
  12. Wesco Coffee — Same era as Auto / market-list coffees; Wesco-lettered tin wanted.

Missing Sizes & Variants

Brands we already have some examples of, but where specific sizes, labels, or formats are still missing.

H and H Blend 2.5 lb tin — sibling format to other Blend sizes

  1. H and H Blend Coffee 1 pound Box — Carton / box rather than tin for one-pound Blend.
  2. H and H Blend Coffee 3 pound Bag (1921) — 1921 wholesale matrix advertised three-pound bags; surviving paper bag with that dating context.
  3. H and H Coffee Crystalvac Jar, 5-ounce (pint), 1934 — Smallest Crystalvac size referenced for 1934; compare Crystalvac jar evolution.
  4. Broncho Coffee 1 pound Tin — One-pound cylinder with Broncho vignette (collection emphasizes three-pound tin and pail quest).
  5. Border Coffee 3 pound Tin — Three-pound rectangular tin with Border Brand art (pails and Blend tins documented separately).
  6. Texas Girl Coffee 3 pound Bucket — Three-pound pail / bucket format with Texas Girl panel.
  7. Texas Girl Coffee 1/2 pound Baby Package — Half-pound “baby” retail unit named in ads.
  8. Master Chef Coffee Instant 2oz Jar — Small instant glass or tin from Master Chef instant line.
  9. Master Chef Coffee Instant 6oz Jar — Larger instant jar — pair to Master Chef instant documentation.

Spices, Tea, and Other Products

Collection — H and H spices cinnamon and ginger tins (paprika still wanted) Collection — ginger 1.5 oz

  1. H and H Instant Coffee Powder, 2oz or 6oz — Early instant canister sizes; see instant line.
  2. H and H Spices, Paprika — Upright spice tin with paprika callout ( spice range documents other fills).
  3. H and H Spices, White Pepper — White pepper variant tin.
  4. H and H Chili Powder — Chili tin or paper label sack.
  5. H and H Extracts (generic) — Any extract bottle establishing generic H and H Extracts footer.
  6. H and H Extract of Lemon — Duplicate of Priority list — labeled lemon extract.
  7. H and H Blend Ceylon-India Tea (1921) — 1921 tea carton named in tea research.
  8. Master Chef Tea Bags (1950s) — Bagged tea under Master Chef brand.

Ephemera & Photographs

Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. factory, 1932 — setting for employee snapshots

  1. Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co postcard — Mailed or unused postcard with company lithography (see gallery postcard discussions for other ephemera types).
  2. Factory-era photographs from employees, suppliers, or customers — Snapshots at 601 Delaware, loading docks, sales cars, or office parties — not necessarily professional press work.

To create a historical display for the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Company, we are collecting everything we can find. This includes:

  1. Advertising
  2. Products
  3. Photographs
  4. Books
  5. Newspapers
  6. Signs
  7. Postcards
  8. Factory Equipment
  9. Vehicles

Known Products

The full catalog of Hoffmann-Hayman products we have either documented in the collection or seen referenced in advertisements, labels, and period literature. Many are hard to find; clear photographs are welcome for any line not yet represented on the site. Each block below lists formats; sample figures follow Reference → newspaper crop when both exist (museum Collection shots appear where they are the best sibling format).

H and H Blend & H and H Coffee

H and H Blend 2.5 lb tin H and H one-pound tin H and H High Grade one-pound

  1. H and H Blend Coffee 1/2 pound Bag — Small sack retail unit for the flagship blend.
  2. H and H Blend Coffee 1 pound Bag — Standard one-pound paper Blend bag.
  3. H and H Blend Coffee 3 pound Bag (1921) — Three-pound sack as priced in 1921 matrices.
  4. H and H Blend Coffee 1 pound Box — Carton format (often grind-specific callouts).
  5. H and H Blend Coffee 2.5 pound Tin — Rectangular litho tin; medium grind common on surviving examples.
  6. H and H Blend Coffee 3 pound Tin — Large rectangular tin; vacuum and non-vacuum eras.
  7. H and H Blend Coffee 1/2 pound Tin, Light Housekeepers (1920s) — Half-pound tin with Light Housekeepers grind band.
  8. H and H Coffee 1 pound Bag — House “H and H Coffee” identity (parallel to Blend line art).
  9. H and H Coffee 2 pound Regular Bag — Two-pound paper sack.
  10. H and H Coffee 1/2 pound Tin (1934) — 1934-dated half-pound tin layout.
  11. H and H Coffee 1 pound Tin — One-pound cylinder with H and H Coffee panel and vacuum starbursts where used.
  12. H and H High Grade Coffee 1 pound Tin — High Grade sub-brand one-pound cylinder.
  13. H and H High Grade Coffee 3 pound Tin — Three-pound High Grade tin (orange panel variant documented in gallery).

Crystalvac Jars

Reference — one-pound Crystalvac, Three Rivers Glass Show, Mac Johanson table Reference — clear one-pound labeled Crystalvac (Corpus / Austin documentation)

  1. H and H Coffee Crystalvac Jar, 5-ounce (pint), 1934 — Smallest square jar / 1934 dating in trade references.
  2. H and H Coffee Crystalvac Amber Jar, 1 pound (quart) — Amber glass one-pound with embossed lid and paper label variants.
  3. H and H Coffee Crystalvac Clear Jar, 1 pound (quart) and 3 pound (gallon) — Clear square jars with wire bail on larger sizes; Three Rivers and later Owens-Illinois supply.

Spices

H and H Spices allspice H and H Spices cinnamon

  1. H and H Spices 1oz Tin, Allspice — Small upright tin, 1 oz net.
  2. H and H Spices 1oz Tin, Cinnamon — Same tin family as other 1 oz spices.
  3. H and H Spices 1oz Tin, Cumin — Cumin fill in 1 oz format.
  4. H and H Spices 1.5oz Tin, Ginger — Taller tin for 1½ oz fills.
  5. H and H Spices 1.5oz Tin, Nutmeg — Nutmeg variant.
  6. H and H Spices, Paprika — Paprika tin ( Wanted still flags gaps).
  7. H and H Chili Powder — Chili tin or sack.
  8. H and H Ground Black Pepper — Black pepper shaker / tin.
  9. H and H Ground White Pepper — White pepper variant.
  10. H and H Brand Dutch Lunch Mustard — Mustard tin or jar with Dutch Lunch brand line.

Tea

Reference — H and H Tea box with Crystalvac jar and High Grade tin (staged) Newspaper crop — 1923 Light, Orange Pekoe Tea tin line art

  1. H and H Tea, Orange/Pekoe, 4oz — Four-ounce tea tin.
  2. H and H Tea, Orange/Pekoe, 6oz — Six-ounce tea tin.
  3. H and H Tea, 6oz. — Alternate six-ounce labeling.
  4. H and H Blend Ceylon-India Tea (1921) — 1921 Ceylon-India blend carton.
  5. Master Chef Tea Bags (1950s) — Bagged tea under Master Chef umbrella.

Other H and H Products

  1. H and H Cocoa, 3½ oz tin (1924) — Small cocoa tin from 1924 price/label studies.
  2. H and H Cocoa, 8 oz tin (1924) — Larger cocoa tin in the same 1924 family.
  3. H and H Instant Coffee Powder, 2oz or 6oz — Instant canisters (see instant).
  4. H and H Extracts — Generic extract line footer on bottles.
  5. H and H Vanilla Extract — Vanilla bottle / carton.
  6. H and H Extract of Lemon — Lemon extract.

Other Coffee Brands

Reference — Master Chef one-pound tin (updated label variant) Reference — Sam Houston four-pound pail, Witte Museum

  1. Anita Coffee — Western Anita Brand formats.
  2. Big Dime Coffee (10-cent packages) — Economy line in dime price class.
  3. Border Coffee 3 pound Tin — Three-pound Border rectangular tin.
  4. Broncho Coffee 1 pound Tin — One-pound Broncho cylinder.
  5. Broncho Coffee 3 pound Tin — Three-pound Broncho tin (pail also documented).
  6. Cafe Coffee (introduced 1932) — 1932 launch-era Cafe identity.
  7. Double H Coffee, 1 pound package — Double H retail unit.
  8. Fancy Peaberry Coffee, 1 pound carton — Peaberry in carton.
  9. Jav-o Coffee (introduced 1954) — Mid-century Jav-o tins or bags.
  10. Juanita Coffee — Juanita labeled package.
  11. Master Chef Coffee 1 pound Tin — Master Chef one-pound tin.
  12. Master Chef Coffee 2 pound Tin — Two-pound Master Chef tin.
  13. Master Chef Coffee Instant 2oz Jar — Instant jar line.
  14. Master Chef Coffee Instant 6oz Jar — Larger instant jar.
  15. Menger Hotel Coffee 1 pound Tin — Hotel brand one-pound tin.
  16. Menger Peaberry Coffee 1 pound Tin — Peaberry one-pound tin.
  17. Misa Coffee — Misa can or carton.
  18. Sam Houston Coffee 1 pound Tin — Sam Houston one-pound tin ( Witte reference pails exist).
  19. Spoon Coffee — Spoon brand package.
  20. Texas Girl Coffee 1 pound Tin — Texas Girl one-pound tin.
  21. Texas Girl Coffee 1 pound, Paper Bag — One-pound Texas Girl sack.
  22. Texas Girl Coffee 3 pound Bucket — Three-pound Texas Girl pail.
  23. Texas Girl Coffee 1/2 pound Baby Package — Half-pound baby unit.
  24. Texco Coffee — Texco labeled tin or bag.
  25. Wesco Coffee — Wesco labeled package.

Ephemera

  1. Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co postcard — Lithographed postcard with company plant or brands (see also Most Wanted — Ephemera).

There are private-label brands for hotels and clubs still to be found.

Books & Journals

The annotated books and journals index (covers, blurbs, and links to on-site resource pages) now lives on Resources — Books & Journals.

Newspapers / Clippings

Early index of issue-level finds that helped anchor the Newspaper gallery; many stories now have full transcription posts.

Stack context — use Newspaper gallery for dated clippings

  1. San Antonio Express (San Antonio, Texas), Vol. 46, No. 323, Ed. 1 Sunday, November 19, 1911 Page 10 — 1911 Express mention (early company timeline).
  2. San Antonio Evening News (San Antonio, Texas) 15 Nov 1919 Page 6 — 1919 Evening News clip.
  3. San Antonio Evening News (San Antonio, Texas) 27 Sep 1922 Page 6 — 1922 Evening News clip.
  4. San Antonio Express News (San Antonio, Texas) 12 Jul 1964 Page 69 — 1964 Continental / division era advertising context.

Non-core objects that touch the Hoffmann-Hayman story—premiums, competitors, or glass history—without being San Antonio H and H retail lines.

H and H Bob White whistle

  1. H and H Bob White Whistle — 1939 World’s Fair premium whistle in collection; documents promotion culture.
  2. Three Rivers Glass Company Calendar, 1932 — Promotional calendar from Three Rivers — overlaps Crystalvac supply (see Wanted — Priority).
  3. Cory Improved Glass Coffee Brewer, 1936 — Glass brewer collectible tied to 1936 Cory and home coffee fashion.
  4. Aviation Coffee Tin from Tucker Coffee Co., San Antonio, Texas ~1920 — San Antonio competitor tin — context for local coffee packaging — see Tucker letterhead post.

Avoid Similarly Named

When looking at H&H items make sure they are from Hoffmann-Hayman, H and H, or H&H Coffee in San Antonio, Texas. Other firms reused similar lettering or family names — compare city, footer copy, and tin geometry before attributing a find.

  1. Hoffmann’s — Coffee and spices from John Hoffmann & Sons of Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Midwestern lithography; not San Antonio.

    Hoffmann's Old Time Coffee John Hoffmann Tins

  2. H & H Coffee — Harnit and Hewitt of Toledo, Ohio — different H & H monogram and Ohio address on labels.

    Harnit & Hewitt Coffee, One Pound Mocha Blend Tin - Toledo Ohio

  3. H&H Coffee Company — Heitstuman & Heritage Inc. of Rathdrum, Idaho — modern craft roaster; no historical tie to 1899 San Antonio works.
  4. Hoffman Beverage Company — Virginia Beach, Virginia — beverage distributor naming, not the Texas coffee roastery.