Fans of Downton Abbey may be fascinated—and a bit envious—of the Crawley daughters' morning ritual of awakening to a tray of hot tea placed upon their recumbent laps by their ladies' maids. I suspect the grand estate house was quite drafty; consequently, more than a few cups of hot tea were consumed before the pampered…
Tea Advertisements for Women in the 1950s
Tea advertisements of the 1950s often targeted female shoppers, as seen in these two magazine pages from that era. Sixty years later, women continue to be the decision makers when it comes to buying tea for the home. The first image shows a woman's image brightening as she drinks a cup of brisk Lipton tea. Thomas…
From the "Mad Men" at Lipton Tea
I am a great fan of the television series "Mad Men," set in an early-sixties Manhattan advertising firm. I often laugh at the fashions and incorrect behavior, mostly on the part of male characters, in that well-played depiction of a time I still remember. And viewers often cringe at the portrayal of women as second-class citizens dependent…
Lipton Tea and British Social Classes
Thomas Lipton was always the master of marketing, especially when it came to touting the fact that he indeed owned the Ceylon gardens wherein his teas were grown. "Direct from the Grower" was one of his favorite slogans. Why then pay the extortionate prices that are being charged by the Trade when you can buy…
Thomas Lipton’s Roots in America
Sir Thomas LiptonHow did Britain's greatest tea mogul come to work on a rice plantation in South Carolina?The front page of the October 25, 1899, Georgetown (SC) Semi-Weekly Times reported a rumor from Washington, DC that famed grocer and tea entrepreneur Sir Thomas J. Lipton was determined to invest $500,000 in tea culture in South Carolina…