Starbucks Arizona mug: Been There Series
This Arizona mug from Starbucks' Been There Series writes ARIZONA in dark red capitals above a Grand Canyon scene on a banner, a roadrunner, a saguaro cactus, a fox and a dreamcatcher, with an orange inside.
- Series
- Been There Series
- Place
- Arizona, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- Not confirmed
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The photographer who ran film down the Grand Canyon to develop it
Emery Kolb remembered his first darkroom at the Grand Canyon as a blanket over a prospect hole, with water hauled from a muddy cow pond eleven miles out in the woods [1]. According to Painter's Keys, they built a darkroom four and a half miles down the trail at Indian Garden, where Ellsworth shot the riders from the studio window and Emery ran the film down to develop it [2]. Before the riders could climb back up, Emery was in the studio with their prints [3]. The brothers sold their pictures in leather-bound books for three dollars each [4]. In 1911 they ran the Colorado River from start to finish with a 50-pound hand-cranked movie camera [5]. After a falling-out, a coin toss gave Emery the studio, and Ellsworth moved to Los Angeles [6]. The Grand Canyon banner on the Arizona mug (5) names the place the Kolb brothers made their name [7].
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
ARIZONA in dark red capitals with a hatched texture across the upper front.
- 2Roadrunner
A yellow roadrunner with speed lines runs at the upper right.
- 3Saguaro cactus
A small red saguaro cactus stands beside the roadrunner.
- 4Grand Canyon scene
Orange canyon walls inside a round frame fill the middle of the front.
- 5Grand Canyon banner
A yellow ribbon banner under the canyon is lettered Grand Canyon.
- 6Orange fox
An orange fox stands at the lower left.
- 7Round emblem
A round emblem with an orange and yellow design hangs at the right, with a feathered tassel below it.
- 8Coffee cup
A white to-go cup with a dark green circle stands at the left.
The photo shows the front only. The back, the opposite side and the underside are out of view.
Collector notes
- This Arizona mug has a Grand Canyon banner as its centre piece. Our checklist has a second Been There Arizona mug whose front shows a RED ROCK SEDONA scene, so match the banner text before buying.
- The inside is orange at the rim, and the front uses oranges and yellows with dark red lines.
Before you buy
The photo shows the front only, so the back and underside are not pictured. The inside is orange at the rim. Our checklist has a second Been There Arizona mug showing a RED ROCK SEDONA scene, so match the banner text before buying.
Other Arizona mugs
Sources
- Ultra Running History: Kolb Brothers (quotes Emery Kolb)
- Painter's Keys: Room with a View
- Painter's Keys: Room with a View (return trip)
- National Park Service: Kolb Studio
- National Park Service: Kolb Studio (1911 river trip)
- National Park Service: Kolb Brothers, Conflict on the Canyon's Rim
- National Park Service: Kolb Studio (a name for themselves)
