December 19, 2011, by Fraser
19 December: Boots Christmas supplement
From the first page through to the last – including the festive cover adorned with Santas and Cherubs – The Mixture promotes positivity in the face of extreme adversity. This special Christmas supplement is from The Bee, the in-house magazine for Boots Pure Drug Company, and was delivered to employees ahead of Christmas 1944.
The supplement includes a range of content, including a number of stories from employees detailing their varied experiences during World War II. Despite that, the Editor notes the importance of focusing on the ‘lighter side of life’ in the Christmas supplement ‘in the hope of entertaining colleagues in all parts of the world.’ To this end, each article and story promotes a sense of shared identity as a Boots employee, as well as showcasing the famous British stiff upper lip:
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If you can’t view the above media, try this PDF version.
Boots and the University…
This copy of The Mixture is one of many ephemeral items about the history of the Nottingham firm to survive in the personal archive of former employee John Lawson. The University’s archives hold many other Boots references – particularly concerning the role of the company’s founder Jesse Boot whose generosity in the 1920s enabled Nottingham University College to move to what is now the University Park campus.
All of the items featured in our e-Advent calendar are from the University’s historic library holdings, held in Manuscripts and Special Collections. For more information on the wide range of materials available, take a look at their website and blog or contact the curators on mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk
Find out more about our Manuscripts development plans and how you can support us via the Impact Campaign website.
Wow, this is amazing! Very interesting, and very different to what staff receive now