Week 18 2024

Fry’s Five Boys Chocolate Sign

Oakham Treasures has a significant collection of Fry’s memorabilia, ranging from actual product through to various advertising signs and shop merchandising materials.

This particular famous advertising campaign, taken for Fry’s chocolate was created in 1886. The model, Lindsay Poulton was 5 at the time and Fry’s paid a staggering £200 for exclusive rights to the photography to promote their chocolate.

Apparently, Lyndsay was to remember posing for ‘Desperation’ for some years, as to make him cry the photographer soaked a cloth in ammonia and placed it around his neck to make him cry!

The Fry’s family have been associated with Bristol since the reign of George 11, and J.S.Fry and Son manufactured chocolate in Bristol for many, many years.