Were you an Aero girl? This is the tantalising question being posed by one of the world's most famous confectioners and yes - they could be looking for you!
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| Photograph courtesy of Visit York |
According to archives of Rowntrees, who were taken over by Nestle in 1988, several sitters were commissioned for oil paintings featured in the company's advertisements for Aero between 1951 and 1957. Chocolate, it seems, was still a luxury at that time and the manufacturers wanted to appeal to a broader range of customers.
These wonderful portraits lined the walls of the Rowntrees offices for many years though, amazingly, no records were kept of these women. Now Alex Hutchinson, archive curator at Nestle, is trying to discover who they were. As most of them will now be in their eighties he's understandably eager to make contact now before it is too late. Think what a wonderful story these women would have to tell, particularly about the social etiquette of a time that is already firmly sealed in history.
Aero first went on sale in 1935, ceasing production during the war, becoming extremely popular again when sweet rationing ceased. And I was one of its biggest fans!As a child in the sixties I remember thinking someone must have spent a great deal of time adding all those bubbles...
This week, until October 20 York is staging The Chocolate Girls - an exhibition of original art work and advertising material used in Terry's and Rowntrees campaigns between 1950 and 1980.
Apparently the display focuses on the link between women and chocolate....Now that's something that really hasn't changed at all.
If you want to know more go to http://www.visityork.org/information/ and find out about the many chocolate events going on in the city right now.
