As Good As New

Earlier in the year I painted the door to a small cupboard in my lobby; the brass handle was looking rather jaded so I brought some Brasso and gave it a good rub and it is now looking very shiny.  It is amazing what a difference a small thing like this can make  – my lobby now feels so much smarter!

When I brought the tin I remembered what a classic example of British advertising design it is.  Apparently Brasso has been in use for over 100 years, and originated in Britain in 1905. In 1904 Reckitt and Sons senior traveller, W.H. Slack, visited the company's Australian branch, where he discovered such a product in use. Samples from Australian and US producers were then analysed by Reckitt's chemists, and by 1905 liquid polish under the trademark "Brasso" was being sold, initially to railways, hospitals, hotels, and large shops.  The polish grew in popularity in Britain, eventually replacing the previous paste-style polishes. It has undergone very few changes in either composition or package design over the past century.