Odds and quads

In 1962, Tennent’s, the Glasgow-based brewery, developed an English series of designs for its lager cans, some featuring a model named Ann visiting landmarks in England. She became very popular with drinkers, particularly in the armed forces, which led to three separate series: Ann, Housewives’ Choice and Tennent’s Girls.

These last were the forerunners of the Tennent’s Lager Lovelies, issued from 1969 to 1991 and designed to appeal to men. The Housewives’ Choice cans, in contrast, featured recipes for dishes such as spaghetti casserole and potato scones.

The Scottish Business Archive, one of Europe’s largest, incorporates 400 separate collections representing forms of enterprise ranging from banks and confectioners to shipbuilders and undertakers.

Assembled through the efforts of the university’s economic and social history department, it was designed to ensure that records of the nation’s industrial heritage were not lost during the economic downturn of the 1970s.

Send suggestions for this series on the treasures, oddities and curiosities owned by universities across the world to: matthew.reisz@tsleducation.com