World War I era Bovril Advertising Poster for Troops

Australians love their Vegemite; the Brits lover their Marmite; Americans love their peanut butter. Back in the day, the Brits also had a meat-based spread called Bovril. In the 1870s, a Scottish butcher created a thick and salty meat paste. He originally called it “Johnston’s Fluid Beef”. I can see why it was renamed Bovril. In the late 1800s and very early 1900s, Bovril was considered a superfood. It kept a long time and had a lot of protein. During World War I, Bovril was known as the “war food.” Sometimes it was mixed with hot water to make a warm, protein-packed drink. This sign, I believe, is from the WW I era. It reads “Noel Feeling Thanks to Bovril.” “Noel” is the French way of saying “Merry Christmas.” Based on the message and the holly bordering the upper and lower part of the poster, this was an advertising poster to connect Bovril with improving the Christmas spirit. The poster is quite large, approximately 30 x 20 inches. The bottom edge is a bit rough, with a small chunk missing on the lower right part of the poster. Also, one of the middle seams has split slightly. Because the poster is so old, a previous owner affixed it to a piece of cardboard for more support to preserve it. Regardless, it’s a great advertising poster from the early 1900s.