Tiller's Taxi Service Milk Glass Coffee Mug + Matchbook Cover Norfolk Virginia For Sale

Norfolk Virginia Tiller's Taxi Service Milk Glass Coffee Mug + Matchbook Cover

Offered for your consideration is this beautiful and very rare early 1950/60's era side logo just under 4" wide to the tip of the handle and 3.25" tall double sided Ford Fairlane police car style milk glass restaurant ware advertising coffee mug made for the Tiller's Taxi Service - Black & White Service that was located in Norfolk, Virginia. ALSO INCLUDED is the matching matchbook cover which appears to be from 1967.
This is the first such white milk glass mug that I've seen, along with, only having seen just a couple of other mugs from Tiller's Taxi, but those were yellow. Anything in vintage restaurant ware like this made for an actual taxicab - taxi service is rare and seldom seen.
I am not sure if this was made as promotional item or if this was used at the company's office in Norfolk. But whatever the case, I'm positive not many of these were ever made and even fewer have survived over the past 60+ years since it was made and used.
Though I cannot locate a manufacturer's hallmark on this mug, it could be either a Federal Glass, Hazel Atlas, Westmoreland Glass, early Pyrex, Fire King, or even CorningWare. I am not that well versed on actual milk glass; rather, only on the advertising aspects of it, and this mug is extremely rare that it was made for an actual taxi service in the late 1950's and into the early 1960', along with, having some of the most amazing graphics.
On one side of the mug features a 1960's era Ford Fair Lane commercial police car style car that is being used as a Taxi. The other side is advertising slogans. The company advertised that they operated an entirely new fleet of vehicles provided by Norview Cars, Inc. The company was radio dispatched, all cars were air conditioned, 24 hour service, meter fair only within 25 mile radius, and had professional and courteous drivers. The company also called itself Tiller's Black & White Service, as their cats were painted in black and white colors with white on the top and black on the bottom. There were also a bonded messenger service, which, they would deliver documents, telegrams, packages, express, etc.
In regards to the 25 mile radius the company advertised, even in the 1960's the Greater Norfolk metropolian area comprised of a large area. Some of the cities and communities in that area that Tillers served included Cheapeake, Cape Henry, Buckroe Beach, Newport News, Portsmouth, Greenbrier, Stumpy Lake, Whitehurst, Avalon Terrace, Westville Village, Woodhaven, Fairfield, Arrowhead, Glenrocks, Lake Taylor, Poplar Halls, Ingleside, Ghent, Park Place, Algonquin, West Ocean View, and many other nearby communities of Norfolk.
The telephone number on the mug is also interesting as well. Tor decades, telephone exchanges were identified by letter codes in front of the number, which made up the first part of a phone number. As in the case of this mug, the phone number is MA-22-7-11. This system of using letters in front of the number was phased out by the late 1960's.
The mug has no cracks, no chips, very light wear, and looks wonderful. It is the vintage heavyweight type advertising / diner / cafe / lunch room type glass and would have been used for hot coffee, hot tea, or even hot chocolate.The matchbook is also in good condition as well.
An amazing addition to your restaurantware, Yellow Cab, bus, checker cab, historic Norfolk VA, or restaurant mug collection.
You may wish to consider adding this lovely piece of historyto your hotel silver, silver soldered, heavyweight type steamship, hotel silver, or restaurant ware collection.