This Photographer Is Documenting the Art of Coffee Cups Around the World

For too long the precious black liquid that keeps your brain afloat during 8am meetings on Monday has gotten all the attention. But what about the intricately designed disposable cup?

It's easy to forget about (let alone give any sustained attention to) the vessel of cardboard that carries that lovingly brewed coffee to our lips — but we'd be pretty lost without it. Coffee Cups of the World is an unabashed display of one man's beautiful takeaway coffee journey across the world documented on Tumblr and Instagram.

"I want people to look at the coffee cups and be conscious of them," New Zealand professional food photographer Henry Hargreaves told Cool Hunting. "The to-go cup is the best piece of advertising for coffee shops, but not everyone gives it enough attention."

Until now, that is. Hargreaves (who you might know for his eerie food photography series of death row inmates' last meals) has collected coffee cups from cafes in Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. He has even enlisted a friend from South Africa to send him a bunch and — great news — is now encouraging the public to do the same.

See more of Hargreaves's work at the Coffee Cups of the World Tumblr and on his online portfolio.

Via Cool Hunting