Summary

Horse brass: Advertising sign for 'Bovril' at Piccadilly Circus, London with statue of Eros in foreground. Type: cast brass. Date: from 1909. Cast horse brass were first made in 1825, and with the introduction of petrol engines/vehicles, the production of horse brass ceased in the 1930s.

In 1909 the first Bovril electric advertising sign was erected in London's Piccadilly Circus.

John Lawson Johnston, a Scottish man, created 'Johnston's Fluid Beef' (later called Bovril) in response to the need to feed soldiers in the Prussian war in 1870. In 1889 the Bovril Company was formed. It was used as a 'war food' in the First World War. In 1966 it developed into an instant beef stock; this 'beef tea' became a very popular winter beverage in sports stadiums.

More Information