Placard, campaigner's placard

Placard carried by Stanley Green (1915 – 1993), campaigner and dietary reformer. From 1968 to 1993, Stanley Green could regularly be seen in Oxford Street campaigning against the dangers of eating protein. Using this homemade placard and selling his self-published booklets, Stanley dedicated himself to the promotion of his ‘Protein Wisdom’ philosophy. He believed that too much protein caused uncontrollable sexual passions, disorder and unhappiness. He described the placard in 1981 as 'the most important part of my dedicated work'.

Stanley Green was born on the 22 February 1915 in Tottenham, the son of May and Richard Green, a clerk. The family moved to Ealing after the first world war where Stanley, one of four brothers, spent a relatively ordinary childhood. He was a difficult character, and never managed to settle in a job, although he had some skill as an artist. He never married and never really left home. He lived with his parents in a council flat in Ealing for most of his life.

It was after his mother’s death in 1967 that Stanley began his campaign against eating protein. Every day he travelled to central London to make his protest. His 'Eight Passion Proteins. With Care' booklets were printed on a small printing press set up in his front room. The booklet ran to 84 versions. He altered his placard as new theories came to mind: the addition of ‘and sitting’ reflected his belief that exercise prevented the accumulation of protein in the body, so sitting was not to be encouraged.

When Stanley Green died in 1993, the Museum acquired his placards and a complete set of his booklets. He had become a sight of London, often photographed by tourists as an example of British eccentricity. He is now recorded in the Dictionary of National Biography.