This double-sided enamel flange sign for Lyons' "Nippy" Chocolates is a really unusual piece; in fact I've only ever encountered one other example!

 

A "Nippy" was a waitress who worked in the J. Lyons & Co tea shops / cafés. The name was introduced 1926 (chosen after a staff competition) because the waitresses nipped (moved quickly) around the tea shops. Nippies wore a distinctive maid-like uniform with a matching hat. "Nippy" chocolate was apparently produced between 1931-1940 - presumably as a promotion for the company's tea rooms and their newly re-named waitresses. The fact that Lyons' main offering was tea and cakes rather than chocolate and the limited time frame for production probably account for the scarcity of advertising signage for this product. 

 

This example presumably dates to the early 1930s and the introduction of the chocolate. It's survived the decades in relatively decent order. There's some enamel loss around the outer edges of both faces along with a little mottling / fading visible to the blue and black enamel layers. Other than this, the flange is present and functional and the colours generally remain vibrant. 

 

The sign measures 46cm wide x 30cm high and the flange is 4.5cm deep. 

 

S/N: #1690