Hills Bros. Coffee, 2 Harrison Street, San Francisco, Interpretive Exhibits

The Legacy of Hills Brothers Coffee
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We believe legacy is a valuable asset, one earned not purchased.
If you've got it, by all means, tell your story well.

Leveraging history is often overlooked as a brand asset and tool for community engagement.
We have all seen the iconic Wells Fargo stage coach and recognize its value to their bank.  What is your company's Stage Coach is my question?  If you have a legacy of excellence in your community, with satisfied customers over generations, this will make a powerful statement about your brand.
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In the lobby of No. 2 Harrison Street, San Francisco, now home to Mozilla, Google, Gensler Architects, and a host of leading innovative firms, you can tour the history of San Francisco's original coffee company.  Hills Brothers, established in the late 1800s, created an aroma that augmented the City's waterfront experience for generations.  No. 2 Harrison was original built by Hills Brothers for their factory, distribution center and headquarters, opening in 1925.  The lobby exhibits trace this legacy from Hills Bros. humble beginnings, through the generations of this family owned company, as they expanded to become a global leader in the coffee industry.

Reception Desk at 2 Harrison, 1935 S.F. Bay Bridge Panorama

To create this program, we had the pleasure of working with the building's original developer Betawest, Hills Brothers, project architect David Colleen of Whistler Patri, and most memorably, Carol T. Wilson, the company's historian, who began his career in this building in 1924.

Panoramic Mural
This 12-foot wide panoramic photograph, hand-tinted by Hall, shows Hills Plaza and the Bay Bridge under construction. It is a one-of-kind site-specific piece made from the original negative.

Main Exhibit - historic lobby of 2 Harrison Street

Hills Bros. Coffee Mills Storefront from 1884 to 1894

Hills Bros. Arabian Coffee & Spice Mills, was located at the corner of Sansome & Sacramento Streets, serving as both a factory and home office for the growing company from 1884 to 1894.  This site later became the site of the Federal Reserve Bank.

—original hand-tinted black and white photograph.

Unloading coffee at Hills Bros. at 175 Fremont Street c1915

Following two years in temporary quarters after being nearly wiped out by the Earthquake and Fire of 1906, a new building was completed for Hills Bros. at 175 Fremont Street.  Hills Bros. grew rapidly from 1908 through 1925, when they moved to 2 Harrison Street.

—original hand-tinted black and white photograph.

 Dedication Plaque honoring Hills Bros Founders

Hills Bros. was founded February 14, 1878, in San Francisco when two brothers, Austin H. Hills (1851-1933), and Reuben W. Hills (1856-1934), formed a partnership to sell retail dairy products in a stall in Bay City Market located at 1146 Market Street.  Three years later they became owners of Arabian Coffee & Spice Mills. This marked the beginning of their growth to become one of the nation's largest and most notable coffee companies.  Burned out by the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, these courageous brothers went on to achieve their destined mark in coffee history.  This building was the home office and plant for Hills Bros. from January 1926 until April 1990, when remodeling began to make this structure a vital part of the new block-square Hills Plaza.

The partnership Hills Bros. was incorporated in 1914, but the name was not changed to Hills Bros. Coffee, Inc. until the early 1930's.  These are the three generations of Hills men who directed the daily operations of this 98-year-old family-owned business until it was sold in 1976, later to become a strategic part of the new Nestle Beverage Company. The company was later sold to Sarah Lee in 1999 and was sold to Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA in 2005

—original hand-tinted black and white photographs; 
silkscreen acrylic signage, set on hand-painted steel backing system

 

Three Generations of Hills Brothers

Austin H. and Reuben W. Hills break ground for their new building at
2 Harrison Street, August 12, 1924

The sons of the founders. . .

Herbert G. Hills next to his father A. H.; Leslie W. Hills, Edward E. and
Reuben Hills, Jr., the three sons of R. W.  

The Grandsons. . .

Herbert G. Hills Jr., Austin H. Hills, Leslie W. Hills (second generation),
and Reuben W. Hills, III

Main Lobby Exhibit, #2 Harrison
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This group showcases historical milestones of the Hills Brothers Coffee Company, featuring the famous tasting table a 2 Harrison as its centerpiece, set onto a 4" x 2" solid mahogany backing, flanked by two reproductions of the Holden Murals depicting the history of coffee.  Image on the far right shows 1851 shot of South Beach area showing the future location of the building before the landfill was done.

Construction progress of 2 Harrison
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This series shows the construction progress of the 2 Harrison Street plant and offices of Hills Bros. from ground-breaking August 12, 1924, until completion at the end of 1925.   The architect was George W. Kelham; builder was P. J. Walker Company. Each piece is an original hand-tinted black and white photograph.

Construction progress of 2 Harrison, November 8, 1924

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Cross-section Elevation of No. 2 Harrison Street Facilities
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This cross-section illustration of the Hills Bros. plant at 2 Harrison Street shows the path coffee beans traveled after arrival in the warehouse until they were blended, roasted and vacuum-packed for shipment.  The orange bins in the center of the Green Coffee Mixing Tower were used in combining various lots of coffee to prepare the final Hills Bros. blend.  The cup testing rooms are at the top right side of the building.

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Storefront Display, Merchant Corp, led by Carol T. Wilson, 

later Archivist of Hills Bros. Company

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Hills Brothers Coffee, Merchant corp program who set up store displays for local area stores - crew of 26 at the peak of the program. A three-quarter ton panel truck was designed to accommodate all the display materials used by the Advertising Service Representatives.

Similar displays were installed throughout Hills Bros. marketing area by a crew of Advertising Service Representatives.  Beginning with two men in 1924, this team grew to twenty-four in 1936, when changing styles in grocery store architecture outmoded this type of advertising.

 

Sculpture in Hills Plaza Courtyard by Spyro Anargyros
of the turbaned icon of the Hills Brothers brand
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Dedication plaque in Courtyard

Electric Roof Sign, Hanging the "H" on No. 2 Harrison Street

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LEFT: In 1935, the original electric roof sign facing the Bay was converted from incandescent globes to red neon tubing.  

Background: This photographic model appeared frequently in promotional materials for Hills Bros. Coffee in the late 1920's.

 

At the Tasting Table, Ground level of #2 Harrison Street

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This photograph shows the company team at the table conducting cup-testing (c.1930), #2 Harrison, led by Reuben Hills, Reuben Hills, Jr., Elliot Cofer, Dick Bennetts, Gene Hoelter and younger members of the Commodities Department.  This testing procedure continues in use today, with highly qualified personnel using the most advanced equipment to augment their expertise in judging coffee quality by taste and smell, although no longer at this location.

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Additional Reference on Hills Brothers Coffee Company:

Behind the Cup - vintage film on Hills Bros from 1930

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Our projects with Hills Brothers and Nestle

Our Portfolio of Projects involving History

Our Exhibit Program Methodology

History of Hills Brothers - Blog post on San Francisco Images

Hills Bros Flickr Gallery
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Leasing and building office at Hills Plaza

Hills Bros from Wikipedia 

US District Court, Ceremonial Community Mural, San Francisco Federal Building

Heritage Mural of the Northern District Counties

Design by Bennett Hall and Helen Rischbieth,
Production by Business Image Group and Eco Framing, Oakland
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US District Courts • 19th Floor
Phillip Burton Federal Building
450 Golden Gate, San Francisco
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On March 28th 2013, coinciding with the induction of Judge Tigar, we debuted this feature mural, a mosaic representing the legacy of the 15 counties that the United States District Courts Northern District serves. This piece culminated a 10 year project working with the Court under the leadership of Judge Charles Breyer, whose efforts have spearheaded numerous improvements to the Courts facilities.  It has been our honor to design and produce these extensive community history exhibits.

"When the public comes to a courthouse, more often than not they don't want to be there," Breyer explains. "They are either tied up in litigation or jurors who are summoned, so it's an unfriendly set of circumstances. I want them, when they are dragooned into our courthouse, to find something that will engage them."

This mural celebrates the rich local history, diversity and achievements of the fifteen countries served by the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. The Northern District of California encompass fifteen counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. These counties are served by four federal courthouses located in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Eureka.

"Outside the door to the ceremonial courtroom is a wall of 33 images depicting the district, which is mentioned three times in Breyer's job title, and runs through 15 counties from the Oregon border to south of Big Sur" —Sam Whiting, Chronicle

The project was curated, designed and produced locally by Bennett Hall and Helen Rischbieth, principles of Business Image Group. The mural is set into a frame made in Wisconsin using solid cherry wood, also grown in America.  The mural is the culmination of a nearly 1000-piece exhibit throughout the U.S. District Courts, Northern District of California, that has been gradually been installed throughout the Bay Area regions facilities in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland over
the last ten years.

Specifications of Mural
Overall Size: 168" x 46"
Media type: Canvas, printing on z3200 HP 12 color pigment printer
Images are digitally mastered in the studio by Bennett Hall
There are a total of 33 individual canvas, each 14 x 14", wrapped around a stretcher frame, made in our Oakland digital studio, with Eco Shield protective coating
Sign: Cast prismatic bronze 3" letters, made in US by Gemeni

Framing - display
The canvases are fastened to three interlocking leather wrapped backing panels.
Framing around each section is in Cherry wood that was grown in America and milled and finished by the Larson Juhl Company in their Ashland, Wisconsin facilities.

Program Background

United States District Courts adjudicate matters rooted within the local community that are
governed by federal law, aligning District Courts with the communities they serve.

When it became time to commission decoration for the walls of the Northern District courthouses,
including public corridors and jury rooms, the Courts chose to form this program around this local
community, using its rich heritage as the subject matter.  Today, the Northern District courthouses feature displays of local historical photographs providing context and an authentic narrative of the greater San Francisco Bay Area’s legacy. Each image has been carefully selected and grouped, digitally restored, and is accompanied by stories that provide an educational experience.  

"You can learn the breadth, the scope and the reach of the court of the Northern District of California," says Breyer. "You get a panorama of the diversity of the region."

See article on program in Chronicle by Sam Whiting, April 2013

The program was the inspiration of the Honorable Judge Charles Breyer, who from inception in 2002 has guided the project, initially focused on enhancing the juror experience in the rooms where deliberations are conducted. Local historical photography drawn from dozens of sources, with accompanying educational narratives, was selected as the theme.  The program presently covers all the public spaces of the Bay Area region courts, juror rooms and most of the chambers areas with content depicting our local heritage.

"Since 2002, we have had the honor of serving the Northern District of the United States District Court by producing an exhibit program featuring the history of the local community the Court serves.  Historical photography with educational narratives that celebrate the heritage of each county in the District is installed throughout public spaces, jury rooms, jury assembly, meeting rooms, conference rooms, judicial corridors and clerk’s offices.  Each piece has been carefully curated, researched, restored, then framed using materials sourced in the US, fabricated in our facilities and installed by our team.  The program has helped to optimize the graphical experience of the Courts’ facilities using authentic locally relevant content as the defining element."

Over the last ten years, Bennett Hall, designer and curator of Business Image Group and his partner Helen Rischbieth, have worked with the United States District Courts to provide this local experience for their facilities working with their numerous public historical collections as well as private and their own archives.



This project has been completed during several phases over the past 11 years, covering their facilities in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.  The program is ongoing with additional refinements to ensure the the best representation of the Counties in respective facilities. In 2014, the program will be expanded to include the new Federal Courthouse under construction in Eureka/McKinleyville.

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No public funds were used in this program.

US District Court Heritage Program
San Francisco Bay Area • Community History exhibits, 2002-2013

US District Court Program in Oakland
History of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

US District Court Program in San Jose
History of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito Counties

San Francisco Content Libraries

Swiss Louis on Pier 39 showcases San Francisco history

Swiss Louis, a long time San Francisco tradition established in North Beach in 1936, chose to showcase its City local roots by installing a collection of San Francisco historical images for their flagship restaurant on Pier 39.  These dramatic vintage views of our City form a key design element of their restaurant's experience, second only to their spectacular floor to ceiling views of the wharf and Golden Gate Bridge. 

Tour Swiss Louis San Francisco History Collection

The collection was curated and produced by Bennett Hall,  of Business Image Group, drawn from their San Francisco Images archive of local photographs of the Bay Area.  Feature mural-size pieces are printed on canvas, hand-tinted by Hall. Each piece was locally framed by Eco Framing using sustainable U.S. forested and milled frame moulding made from solid walnut.

Main Lounge and Bar Area

Tour Swiss Louis San Francisco History Collection

Main Website with slide show

Slideshow of our Historical Exhibit programs

Share your heritage with your team, clients and the world.

The history of your community or organization is a valuable asset that reinforces your brand, legacy, sense of place, 
traditions providing a message of longevity, stability and integrity. Historical content supports strategic marketing, community relations, and has lasting cultural and educational value. Your team and  clientele have a sense of inclusion and pride in your shared historical context.
Our mission is to integrate historical content with our clients' facilities, strategic marketing and human resources objectives. 

Since 1980, we have produced programs using the history of our clients and the community they serve in public and proviate space for courthouses, hospitals, hotel rooms, restaurants, as well as publications and integrated marketing.

Let us show you how this many benefit your organization.



Does Your Organization Have History?

Organizational history is a high-value asset that can benefit both marketing and human resources objectives.Historical images express a tradition of excellence that inspires and educates your team, clients and visitors.

History communicates your organizations' longevity and endurance. It solidifies your organization's place in the community.

Your history is also unique to your organization and a valuable asset for enhancing your positioning in the larger marketplace and community.

Learn more:  historical programs

What we do

Strategic Visual Communication for the Built Environment

BIG produces artwork designed as visual communication that educates, inspires and influences visitors and employees, in addition to serving as building decoration.

Our programs draw on our clients' community, history. culture. brand and market position, and are designed to optimize the effectiveness of visual images as a tool for communication. In our client's facilities, we replace what formally had merely a decorative function with content chosen based on strategies established through a consensus of key the organizations' key stakeholders. Our physical-to-digital process acquires, refines, and manages media resources, providing additional value as the content can now be efficiently re-purposed into exhibits, publications, websites or broadcast media.

We offer a complete solution from strategy and concept through research, design and content development to installation or publication. We provide or manage all production services necessary, including scanning, digital restoration, photography, graphic design, copywriting, printing, web publishing, framing and installation. Should the project require outside talent or venders, we manage the process of vender qualification, contract and production management to ensure successful completion and ongoing maintenance.

BIG seeks to become the leader in integrating facility exhibits, enhanced media management and multimedia content distribution. Future solutions will be developed using web-enabled collaborative tools with customized user-interfaces, enhancing the process and management of media asset distribution. BIG solution is implemented through partnerships with regional content archives, creators and exhibit producers managed by systems developed by BIG that manage the design and content development process, and conversion of the content into digital media and subsequent production into multiple formats such as exhibits, publications and broadcast media.

If appropriate, we establish systems that enable content to be interchangeable and interactive so that it adapts to change.

We establish legacy level methods for managing media content in perpetuity on behalf of our clients.

The artwork we produce is created using a consensus process that aligns the goals of our client’s marketing, human resources and facilities departments. The process is overseen by the CEO and COO through consultation and process management by BIG. Our services are all-inclusive, combining management of outsource partners as required for any given solution or scope of work.