To my amazement, K&P were mentioned in Samuel Beckett's 1953 play Waiting for Godot- voted the "most significant English language play of the 20th century" in a National Theatre 1998 poll by 800 playwrights, actors, directors and journalists. That's pretty good literary recognition (or product placement). Here's the line in Act 1:
POZZO:
(on the point of tears). I've lost my Kapp and Peterson!
You can check it out at
http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting_for_Godot_Part1.html.
Even more amazingly, it was mentioned (as Kappa Pedersen) by James Joyce in Finnegans Wake:
"Jests, jokes, jigs and jorums for the Wake lent from the properties
of the late cemented Mr T. M. Finnegan R.I.C. Lipmasks and
hairwigs by Ouida Nooikke. Limes and Floods by Crooker and
Toll. Kopay pibe by Kappa Pedersen.
"
The firm obviously became an integral part of Irish culture.
Marco
