City » Atlanta » The ''Real Thing'' Landmarks
July 30, 2010
The ''Real Thing'' Landmarks
By Jessica Goldbogen Harlan
ReZoom Contributor
Rendering of new World of Coca-Cola viewed from Baker Street. Courtesy of World of Coca-Cola.
Boomers who grew up thinking things went better with Coke will appreciate a 'sip' down memory lane at the World of Coca-Cola ...In downtown Atlanta, you'll get a blank look if you ask where 2 Marietta Street is, because it no longer exists. On the corner now sits a nondescript office building, but this block was once home to Jacob's Pharmacy, where an event happened in 1886 that would forever change Atlanta history.
It was here that the first glass of Coca-Cola was served. According to Coca-Cola lore, the druggist supposedly accidentally mixed the Coca-Cola syrup with soda water rather than plain water, a happy accident that is likely responsible for the success of the world's most popular soft drink.
The recently closed original World of Coca-Cola. Photo by Jessica Harlan
Flash forward more than 100 years, and baby boomers, who grew up with the soft drink inextricably linked to their cultural identities, could take a stroll down memory lane at the World of Coca-Cola, which the company opened a few blocks away from the site of Jacob's Pharmacy in 1990.
The 'Harlequin' design was introduced in 1966. Courtesy of World of Coca-Cola.
It was here that boomers could recall the designs of the first cans of Coca-Cola, which were introduced in can form in 1960, or be reminded of the debuts of other Coke products, such as Sprite in 1961 and Tab, the company's first low-calorie soda, in 1963. Some might even yearn for when a six-ounce glass of Coca-Cola cost only a nickel ... the price remained the same from the time that the first glass was served at Jacob's Pharmacy until 1945.
Alas, the association with Atlanta's most famous product would soon be lost to these downtown blocks. The World of Coca-Cola closed its doors in early April, 2007, to move about a mile away to a new location twice the size, opening in May.
This ad from the '60s will be featured in the new museum. Illustration courtesy of World of Coca-Cola.
The new
World of Coca-Cola will have many new and high-tech features and exhibits, 95 percent of which have not yet been on display to the public. But boomers will still be able to get their fix of nostalgia at exhibits displaying "Hilltop," the television commercial that featured the song "I'd like to teach the world to sing," or another showing the first cans of Coca-Cola that were served in space during the 1985 launch of the Space Shuttle or looking at the graphics used in the '60s to develop the now-iconic ribbon motif in the soft drink's logo.
Don't worry, the World of Coca-Cola's most popular attraction — the tasting lounge — will remain, allowing visitors to sample more than 70 different Coca-Cola products from around the world. And even some that might become favorites of a new generation.
Have Something to Say?
Share your comments with other readers... we appreciate your opinion!
( / or to comment)
0 Comments »