Ovaltine – an iconic food brand made in Kings Langley from 1913 to 2002
‘No merrier children could be seen,
Because we all drink Ovaltine!’
Dacorum Heritage are excited to announce that following a generous grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation we can start a two-year project to digitise and bring to life the fabulous art and cultural history that is within the Ovaltine collection.
Do you or friends and family remember Ovaltine? People will remember drinking Ovaltine, maybe you still do, some of you will have memories of listening to the Ovaltineys or watching the adverts on television or in print. Ovaltine is an iconic brand, and we hope, with this funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, we will be able to make Dacorum and Kings Langley more known as the home of Ovaltine.
The Ovaltine archive was retrieved in 2002 when the factory in Kings Langley closed, much of the collection came to the Museum Store with the help of the Kings Langley Local History and Museum Society. Some 20 years later the ownership of the collection has been transferred from Associated British Foods to Dacorum Heritage.
The project will focus on developing our existing Ovaltine collection in order to engage better with the public. With the help of volunteers, local history societies and Garfield Weston Foundation we will achieve this by:
Digitising and sharing the contents of 371 cine film canisters.
Taking high-resolution images of at least 500 artefacts showing some of the highlights of the collection. This includes original paintings and watercolours used to create some of the first advertisements.
Collecting oral history to help us to address gaps in knowledge, as we identify individuals willing to share stories and memories associated with the brand.
Would you like to know more? Would you like to get involved?
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All enquiries to info@dacrorumheritage.org.uk
