Clinton Center To Celebrate 100 Years Of Coca-Cola

Have a Coke and a smile – and a tour of the Clinton Library.

Fans of Coca-Cola have come to expect seasonal packaging from the world-renowned soda company. This year, to mark the 100-year anniversary of Coca-Cola, the Clinton Presidential Center will host a temporary exhibit throughout the holiday season on the iconic brand.

““Coca-Cola is among the best-known brands in the world and we are thrilled to share its remarkable story with our guests,” said Stephanie Streett, executive director of the Clinton Foundation. Opening November 7 and running through February 15, 2016, the temporary exhibit Coca-Cola: An American Original showcases the art and history of the iconic bottle itself and explores how the brand influenced some of the country’’s most noted illustrators and artists, —like Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, Haddon Sundblom, and Howard Finster.”

Illustrations of an American Original will be located in the Garden View Room and will have as its focus the now-iconic images and advertising campaigns that have helped define the Coca-Cola brand. Illustrations will include three original paintings by Norman Rockwell, an American artist who created a total of six paintings that were ultimately used in finished Coca-Cola ads. The three others, known as the “Missing Rockwells,” have yet to be located. Additionally, Illustrations will feature several images of Santa Claus, including the first Coca-Cola Santa painted by Fred Mizen that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in December of 1930, as well as nine original Haddon Sundblom illustrations.

An American Original at 100 will be housed in the Temporary Gallery, bringing together historic bottle “firsts.” It will feature a 13-bottle chronology, including an original glass bottle produced in 1902, a replica of the prototype contour bottle created by the Root Glass Company in 1915, and a prototype of the aluminum bottle that debuted in 2008.

Also, the exhibit will showcase pop art by Andy Warhol —including videos, photographs, prints, and other original works —and folk art by Howard Finster, who incorporated the Coca-Cola bottle into dozens of his pieces over his prolific career. Another portion of this exhibit is dedicated to American presidents and their connection to the global brand. An American Original at 100 was recently on display at the High Museum of Art Atlanta.

In addition to Illustrations of an American Original and An American Original at 100, the Center will also display a full-size antique Coca-Cola delivery truck produced in 1949 by the White Motor Company and a spectacular hanging installation comprised of more than 750 3D-printed, ribbon-shaped interpretations of the bottle’s classic shape.