Now I think we take advertising posters for granted, and really only get interested when the poster or the advertising campaign draws us in, which of course is what its all about.
Over the years we will all have our favourite, from the Milky Bar Kid, to Esso Blue and Cadbury’s Flake.
All of which leads me to this one which dates from 1904 and a brand which sits with most of us.
According to one source, “Bird's Custard was first formulated and first cooked by Alfred Bird in 1837 at his chemist shop in Birmingham.
He developed the recipe because his wife was allergic to eggs, the key ingredient used to thicken traditional custard.
The Birds continued to serve real custard to dinner guests, until one evening when the egg-free custard was served instead, either by accident or design.
The dessert was so well received by the other diners that Alfred Bird put the recipe into wider production… [and] by 1844, was promoting custard powder nationally. By 1895, the company was producing blancmange powder, jelly powder, and egg substitute. In World War I, Bird's Custard was supplied to the British armed forces.”*
And I suspect its success was due to that simple fact that it was cheap, and required no eggs, which in homes with little money and no means of keeping food from "going of", Mr. Bird's product was perfect.
Leaving me just to make a note to go and find Miss M J Bennet of 14 Percy Street, which was just a short walk from the very fashionable Bedford Square. I wonder if she was a servant, which might make the picture postcard poster a joke or a suggestion on how to make life easier in the kitche.
We shall see.
Picture; Poster for Bird’s Custard, 1904, marketed by Tuck & Sons in the series Celebrated Posters, reproduced courtesy of Tuck DB, Tuck DB, https://tuckdbpostcards.org/
*Bird’s Custard, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird%27s_Custard
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