Manaufacturer: Homer Laughlin China
User: Horn & Hardart Co., originally Philadelphia & New York City
Date of mug: 1972
Notes: The first Horn and Hardart Automat opened June 12, 1902 at 818 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, PA. The first Automat in New York City opened 10 years later at 1557 Broadway, Times Square, between 46th & 47th Streets. The distributor noted in the backstamps shown below – Wright, Tyndale and Van Roden – was based in Philadelphia and went out of business circa 1928. Based on the backstamp information, it seems that the distributor provided china for Philadelphia and New York.
A 1921 ad in Plant-Restaurant Management for The Stearnes Company in Chicago touts its outfitting of "Horn & Hardart's new Automat and Cafeteria on Sheridan Road near Wilson Avenue, Chicago." And Jan Whitaker, writing in a September 8, 2019 piece for her Restaurant-ing through history, confirms the presence of two Horn & Hardarts operating in Chicago in 1922.
For an overview of H&H as an iconic establishment, see Horn & Hardart – Iconic Establishments.
It's interesting that this mug has the handle so widely associated with Fiesta Ware, but it has a traditional Laughlin fleur-de-lis backstamp. Topmark is a stylized H & H – or – H&H.
For related info:
Horn & Hardart by Mayer China
Horn & Hardart 3 by Syracuse China
Horn & Hardart 4 by Grindley Hotel Ware Co., LTD, England
Horn & Hardart 5 by Syracuse China
Horn & Hardart 6 by Shenango China
Horn & Hardart 7 by Greenwood Pottery
Horn & Hardart 8 by unknown manufacturer
Horn and Hardart Automat as an Iconic Establishment
The Automat Horn & Hardart Movie (working title prior to release circa 2021)