Dunoon business owner uncovers rare Fry’s Chocolate advert

AN INTERESTING discovery has been made by a local shop owner within the walls of her own store.
Margaret Kelly, of Argyll Street shop Electricom, discovered a vintage sign advertising Frys Chocolate during a renovation behind the counter area.
The sign was found within a boarded-up chimney breast, and had been untouched for multiple decades.
Margaret herself described the discovery and how it all unfolded. She said: “There was this square that was still boarded up [within the fireplace] and we thought we might as well take it off as well, and this is what was behind it.
I don’t know why they put it in there, unless it was for sometime down the line, like now.”
When asked what her plans were for the future regarding the sign, Margaret said that she has made the decision to hold onto it and not to sell the vintage piece.
She explained that she doesn’t see the point in selling it, adding that maybe when somebody buys the shop, we could pass it to them.
Over 55 years ago, the Electricom shop itself was a sweet shop, which Margaret feels could have had a direct connection with what they have found, and passing the artwork on to a future owner of the shop could continue the vintage legacy and heritage that is involved within the building itself.
Sarah Foden, the archives and information manager at Mondelz International (the company in ownership of Frys Chocolate), provided some history on the retro advertising sign that Margaret discovered.
She said: “The famous Frys 5 Boys advert was first used in 1886, but for cocoa and not chocolate.
When Frys milk chocolate was launched in 1902, the 5 Boys image featured on the label and the chocolate soon became known as Five Boys Chocolate. This means this advert is definitely from 1902 onwards, while we also know the boys’ sailor suit was changed to a striped jumper in 1935, so the poster must date from before then.”
She went on to describe who the boy on the poster was and what his connection was to the Frys brand, adding: “The image on the advert featured Lindsay Poulton, the son of the photographer, pulling five different faces.
Lindsay was five when the pictures were taken in 1866 and Frys paid a staggering £200 – a huge amount at the time – to have exclusive use of them. At first, the pictures were used as a show-card, and Lindsay’s face became familiar on postcards, enamel advertising plates, and in newspapers.
We always love it when people across the country and the world re-discover iconic pieces of our brands’ past, be that Frys, Cadbury, or others.”
Upon hearing this, Margaret agreed that the piece has a storied history; however, the artwork was not the only thing that Margaret stumbled across during her renovations. Similarly, within the fireplace also sat a vintage Cadburys shield.
The metal plate also appears to date back at least 100 years, owing to its “no alkalies used” boast.
When discussing the shield, Margaret said: “I was always more focussed on the picture, I never put much importance on it, but I do realise it’s as old as what the picture is, or maybe even older.”
The pieces could be worth up to £1,000 each, depending on their condition and rarity, and Margaret joked that she had already received offers from people at a cut price.
She also confirmed that there were more pictures that were discovered with the shield and photo, but they were made from fragile glass and had unfortunately broken when they were discovered.