John Pemberton Statue
Public Art: John Pemberton Statue
Sculptor: © Russ Faxon
Date: Unveiled 2007
Description: A 6-foot-4-inch, 800-pound bronze statue of John S. “Doc” Pemberton, the Atlanta pharmacist who invented Coca Cola in 1886. The bronze depicts the bearded Pemberton resting his left hand on a table whilst holding up a glass/cup of Coca Cola in his right hand.
Location: Outside the World of Coke Museum, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Background to John Pemberton: John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831–August 16, 1888) was an American druggist and the man responsible for bringing the world, Coca-Cola.
Georgian born, Pemberton (or “Doc” as he became to be known) graduated from medical school at the age of 19. He developed a very keen interest in herbal remedies which were both controversial and questionable, to say the least. After getting a degree in pharmacy, Pemberton began a career in selling these patent medicines.
Pemberton was seriously injured during his time fighting for the Confederacy Army and during a confrontation with the Wilson’s Raiders in Alabama was shot and stabbed with a saber. Unfortunately, this led to his morphine addiction.
On moving to Atlanta, in 1885, he set up a laboratory and began working on a beverage derived from the kola (cola) nut. The Coca plant had become quite the talk of the town during this time and boasted such benefits as being a life extender, aphrodisiac, and a stimulant. Some suggested that Pemberton’s motivation to produce a medicinal drink from this exotic nut was as an attempt to find an alternative substitute for the morphine to which he was so addicted.
His first attempt in his new laboratory was to produce a non-alcoholic version of his French Wine Coca because he was concerned that there would soon be restrictions on sales of alcoholic beverages. He worked day and night on trying to get the formula just right for his new drink. Painstakingly testing each new formula before eventually launching his masterpiece, Coca-Cola.
His bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robertson, came up with the name for his new brew, Coca-Cola, and was also responsible for the Spencerian script font still used for the Coca-Cola brand. Interestingly when the drink was first on the market it was advertised as a cure for morphine and opium addictions among other health benefits. Much to everyone’s surprise, soon after the success of Coca Cola, John Pemberton fell ill and up and sold the rights to the formula.
In 1887 he sold two thirds to Willis Venable and George Lowndes (leaving the remaining third to his only child, Charles). Charles wasn’t interested in retaining his share and sold it for, wait for it, US$1,750 to Asa Griggs Candler.
It was Candler’s marketing prowess that made the drink a household name. He had his salesmen hand out coupons offering a free glass of the drink. It wasn’t long before people were paying 5cents for the pleasure.
John Pemberton would succumb to stomach cancer in 1888, never having shaken his addiction to morphine. He died in poverty. Sadly it seems his son Charles also inherited his father’s love of opium and died from morphine addiction 6 years later, leaving his wife a pauper.
Now for everyone wondering about the levels of cocaine in the drink, apparently the original formula contained 8.46 mg of cocaine. It was removed in 1903 and today it contains none.
Things You May Not Know About Coca-Cola
After 130 years, Coca Cola is now the most widely distributed product in the world.
Guess which are the only two countries in the world that don’t sell Coca Cola? That would be Cuba and North Korea.
Mexico is the biggest drinker of Coke.
The name is derived from kola nuts and coca leaves, the two original ingredients.
The shape of and ridges on the Coke bottle were inspired by the shape of the cacao seed pod. It was a clever tactic to assure people recognized the bottle by feel when placing their hand in an ice box.
The Coke company were the first to invent the six-pack in 1932.
The company also invented the aluminum pull-top cans for troops during WWII. They were eventually offered to the public in 1960.
The original formula for Coca-Cola dubbed “7X”resides in a vault at SunTrust Bank Atlanta.
The “modern Santa”, a big burly man wearing a red and white suit was created by Coca Cola in 1931. It was designed to match the company colours.