The Coca-Cola bottle’s iconic hourglass shape just turned 100 years old in November. Meanwhile, the City of Senoia is commemorating its 150th birthday this year. To celebrate these milestones, the Senoia Area Historical Society is sponsoring an exhibit of Coke-related artifacts at the SAHS History Museum.
Coca-Cola is a hallmark brand in the South, and Senoia has enjoyed a long relationship with the company. In the early 1900s, Blount & Williams ran a Coke bottling operation in the basement of the Baggarly property on Senoia’s historic Main Street. The building has been home to a long string of businesses, making it the third-longest continuously operating commercial structure in Georgia. Today, the sixth generation of the Baggarly family owns the building and operates the Buggy Shop Museum there.
Items that will be displayed at the SAHS History Museum during the Coca-Cola exhibit include many on loan from the former Sewell’s General Merchandise Store collection. The store had been located on Main Street for many years, and today, the Coca-Cola items belong to Hal and Vicki Sewell. The Sewell Family’s artifacts include straight-sided pre-1915 Coke bottles, Coke thermometers, and a clock from the General Merchandise Store.
A wide variety of other Coca-Cola artifacts have been loaned or donated to SAHS for this event, including branded signs, serving trays, and a metal lunchbox. Some items are part of the Museum’s own collection.
The exhibit will kick off with an evening of Coke and chips and other light refreshments Friday, Feb. 12, 7-9 p.m. at the SAHS History Museum, located at 6 Couch Street in Senoia. The event is free and open to the public, with donations to the SAHS gratefully accepted. After opening night, the exhibit will be open 1-4 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through Feb. 27 at the SAHS Museum.
The upcoming Coca-Cola exhibit is the third annual SAHS temporary exhibit held during the month of February. In 2014, there was a display of vintage valentines, then last year, it was vintage jewelry. Those previous romance-inspired exhibits were scheduled during February to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
