Stanley Owen Green
Encyclopedia
Stanley Owen Green known as the Protein Man, was a human billboard
who became a well-known figure in London
, England, during the latter half of the 20th century.
For 25 years, Green patrolled Oxford Street
in the West End
, carrying a placard that advocated "Less Lust, By Less Protein: Meat Fish Bird; Egg Cheese; Peas Beans; Nuts. And Sitting," though the wording—and punctuation—changed slightly over the years. Arguing that protein made people lustful and aggressive, his solution was "protein wisdom," a low-protein diet for "better, kinder, happier people." For a few pence, passers-by could purchase his 14-page pamphlet, Eight Passion Proteins with Care, which reportedly sold 87,000 copies over 20 years, its front cover observing, "This booklet would benefit more, if it were read occasionally."
Green became one of London's much-loved eccentrics, though his campaign to suppress desire, as one commentator put it, was not invariably popular, leading as it did to two arrests for obstruction and the need to wear green overalls to protect himself from spit. He nevertheless took great delight in his local fame. The Sunday Times interviewed him in 1985, and his "less passion, less protein" slogan was used by Red or Dead
, the London fashion house. When he died in 1993 at the age of 78, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, and The Times published his obituary, and his pamphlets, placards, and letters were passed to the Museum of London
. David McKie
writes that in 2006 Green achieved what no other human billboard has, an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
.
, north London, the youngest of four sons of Richard Green, a clerk for a bottle stopper
manufacturer, and his wife, May. He attended Wood Green School before joining the Royal Navy in 1938, and fought in the Second World War until he left the Navy in September 1945.
Philip Carter writes in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography that Green's time with the Navy affected him deeply. He was reportedly shocked by the sailors' obsession with sex, and by 1958 had come to believe that their libido
had been dangerously heightened by the intake of too much protein. "I was astonished when things were said quite openly—what a husband would say to his wife when home on leave," he told The Sunday Times "A Life in the Day" column in 1985. "I've always been a moral sort of person." He began to protect himself against erotic excess with a daily diet of porridge, home-made bread, steamed vegetables and pulses, and a pound of apples. "Passion can be a great torment," he told the newspaper.
After the war, he took a job with the Fine Art Society
, and it was while working there that he failed the entrance exam for the University of London in March 1946. He later worked for Selfridges
, as well as the civil service, and as a storeman for Ealing Borough Council. In 1962, he had a job with the post office, then became a self-employed gardener, and seems to have earned his living that way until he started his full-time anti-protein campaign in 1968. He lived with his parents until they died—his father in 1966 and his mother in 1967—after which he was given a council flat
in Haydock Green, Northolt
, Middlesex.
He began his mission in June 1968, at the age of 53, initially in Harrow
on Saturdays, becoming a full-time human billboard six months later on Oxford Street. He cycled there from Northolt with a sandwich board
attached to the bicycle, a journey of 12 miles (19.3 km) that could take up to two hours, until he was given a free bus pass when he turned 65.
He rose early, and after porridge for breakfast, made bread
—which would rise while he was out on patrol, ready for his evening meal—and prepared his lunch on a Bunsen burner
; this he ate at 2:30 in a "warm and secret place" near Oxford Street. He walked up and down the street six days a week, reduced to four days from 1985 onwards, campaigning until 6:30 pm among the shoppers. Saturday evenings he would spend with the cinema crowds in Leicester Square
. He would to go to bed at 12:30 am, after saying a prayer. "Quite a good prayer, unselfish too," he told The Sunday Times. "It is a sort of acknowledgment of God, just in case there happens to be one."
Peter Ackroyd wrote in London: The Biography that Green was for the most part ignored, becoming "a poignant symbol of the city's incuriosity and forgetfulness." His advice to young women that they should eat a low-protein diet—because "you cannot deceive your groom that you are a virgin on your wedding night!"—was not always appreciated, and led to his being arrested twice for public obstruction, once in 1980 and again in 1985. "The injustice of it upsets me," he said, "because I'm doing such a good job." He took to wearing overalls to protect himself from spit, several times finding it on his hat after a day's work.
Sundays were spent at home, not always quietly, with the printing press on which Eight Passion Proteins was produced. It was described by Waldemar Januszczak
as worthy of the cartoonist Heath Robinson
—who became known for his drawings of ancient contraptions—and the racket it made on print days caused trouble between Green and his neighbours.
Eight Passion Proteins went through 52 editions between 1973 and 1993, noted for its eccentric typography
, including the apparently random capitalization of words. Raising the price only slightly over the years, from 10 pence in 1980 to 12 pence 13 years later, Green sold 20 copies on weekdays and up to 50 on Saturdays, a total of 87,000 copies by February 1993. The booklet identified the eight "passion-proteins" as meat, fish, birds, cheese, eggs, peas, beans, and nuts, arguing that "those who do not have to work hard with their limbs, and those who are inclined to sit about," will "store up their protein for passion," making retirement, for example, a period of increased passion and, therefore, marital discord. "We should not let passion defeat us," his pamphlet advised, "either alone or with a sexual friend, for discipline in the single years prepares us for the discipline of marriage." He singled out the BBC for particular criticism, accusing it of spreading "indiscretion, indiscipline, and indecency."
Green was also unable to find a publisher for his only novel, Behind the Veil: More than Just a Tale, which Carter describes as a "colourful account of the danger of passion and the possibility of redemption." Two other manuscripts remain unpublished, a 67-page text called Passion and Protein, and a 392-page version of Eight Passion Proteins, rejected by Oxford University Press in 1971. Carter writes that Green's efforts on Oxford Street were augmented by a letter-writing campaign to the great and the good, and over the years Eight Passion Proteins made its way to five British prime ministers, the Prince of Wales
, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the director-general of the BBC, the editor of The Times, the British Medical Association, and Pope Paul VI
.
's 1995 exhibition, "The Maybe," at the Serpentine Gallery
, alongside Robert Maxwell
's shoe laces, one of Winston Churchill
's cigars, and Tilda Swinton
in a glass box. Over a decade later, he is still remembered by writers and bloggers, fondly for the most part, though not invariably so: artist Alun Rowlands' documentary fiction, 3 Communiqués (2007), portrays him as trawling the streets of London, "campaigning for the suppression of desire."
Human billboard
A human billboard is someone who applies an advertisement on his or her person. Most commonly, this means holding or wearing a sign of some sort, but also may include wearing advertising as clothing or in extreme cases, having advertising tattooed on the body...
who became a well-known figure in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, during the latter half of the 20th century.
For 25 years, Green patrolled Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
in the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, carrying a placard that advocated "Less Lust, By Less Protein: Meat Fish Bird; Egg Cheese; Peas Beans; Nuts. And Sitting," though the wording—and punctuation—changed slightly over the years. Arguing that protein made people lustful and aggressive, his solution was "protein wisdom," a low-protein diet for "better, kinder, happier people." For a few pence, passers-by could purchase his 14-page pamphlet, Eight Passion Proteins with Care, which reportedly sold 87,000 copies over 20 years, its front cover observing, "This booklet would benefit more, if it were read occasionally."
Green became one of London's much-loved eccentrics, though his campaign to suppress desire, as one commentator put it, was not invariably popular, leading as it did to two arrests for obstruction and the need to wear green overalls to protect himself from spit. He nevertheless took great delight in his local fame. The Sunday Times interviewed him in 1985, and his "less passion, less protein" slogan was used by Red or Dead
Red or Dead
Red or Dead is a fashion designer and manufacturer, started in London in 1982 by Wayne Hemingway and his wife Geraldine Hemingway. They manufacture products such as shoes, spectacles, bags and watches.- Brand name :...
, the London fashion house. When he died in 1993 at the age of 78, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, and The Times published his obituary, and his pamphlets, placards, and letters were passed to the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
. David McKie
David McKie
David McKie is a British journalist and historian. He was deputy editor of The Guardian and continued to write a weekly column for that paper until 4 October 2007, with the byline "Elsewhere". Until 10 September 2005, he also wrote a second weekly column, under the pseudonym "Smallweed"...
writes that in 2006 Green achieved what no other human billboard has, an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
.
Early life
Green was born in HarringayHarringay
Harringay is a residential area of North London, part of the London Borough of Haringey, United Kingdom. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the northern boundary of Finsbury Park up to the southern boundary of Duckett's Common, not far from Turnpike Lane.-Location:The...
, north London, the youngest of four sons of Richard Green, a clerk for a bottle stopper
Stopper (plug)
A bung is truncated cylindrical or conical closure to seal a container, such as a bottle, tube or barrel. Unlike a lid which encloses a container from the outside without displacing the inner volume, a bung is partially inserted inside the container to act as a seal...
manufacturer, and his wife, May. He attended Wood Green School before joining the Royal Navy in 1938, and fought in the Second World War until he left the Navy in September 1945.
Philip Carter writes in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography that Green's time with the Navy affected him deeply. He was reportedly shocked by the sailors' obsession with sex, and by 1958 had come to believe that their libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
had been dangerously heightened by the intake of too much protein. "I was astonished when things were said quite openly—what a husband would say to his wife when home on leave," he told The Sunday Times "A Life in the Day" column in 1985. "I've always been a moral sort of person." He began to protect himself against erotic excess with a daily diet of porridge, home-made bread, steamed vegetables and pulses, and a pound of apples. "Passion can be a great torment," he told the newspaper.
After the war, he took a job with the Fine Art Society
Fine Art Society
The Fine Art Society is an art dealership with two premises, one in New Bond Street, London and the other in Edinburgh . It was formed in 1876...
, and it was while working there that he failed the entrance exam for the University of London in March 1946. He later worked for Selfridges
Selfridges
Selfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
, as well as the civil service, and as a storeman for Ealing Borough Council. In 1962, he had a job with the post office, then became a self-employed gardener, and seems to have earned his living that way until he started his full-time anti-protein campaign in 1968. He lived with his parents until they died—his father in 1966 and his mother in 1967—after which he was given a council flat
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
in Haydock Green, Northolt
Northolt
Northolt is a town in the London Borough of Ealing, England. The town has London Underground and Network Rail stations and is on the A40 road...
, Middlesex.
On the streets
He began his mission in June 1968, at the age of 53, initially in Harrow
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
on Saturdays, becoming a full-time human billboard six months later on Oxford Street. He cycled there from Northolt with a sandwich board
Sandwich board
A sandwich board is a type of advertisement composed of two boards and being either:*Carried by a person, with one board in front and one behind, creating a "sandwich" effect; or...
attached to the bicycle, a journey of 12 miles (19.3 km) that could take up to two hours, until he was given a free bus pass when he turned 65.
He rose early, and after porridge for breakfast, made bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
—which would rise while he was out on patrol, ready for his evening meal—and prepared his lunch on a Bunsen burner
Bunsen burner
A Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame, which is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion.- Operation:...
; this he ate at 2:30 in a "warm and secret place" near Oxford Street. He walked up and down the street six days a week, reduced to four days from 1985 onwards, campaigning until 6:30 pm among the shoppers. Saturday evenings he would spend with the cinema crowds in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
. He would to go to bed at 12:30 am, after saying a prayer. "Quite a good prayer, unselfish too," he told The Sunday Times. "It is a sort of acknowledgment of God, just in case there happens to be one."
Peter Ackroyd wrote in London: The Biography that Green was for the most part ignored, becoming "a poignant symbol of the city's incuriosity and forgetfulness." His advice to young women that they should eat a low-protein diet—because "you cannot deceive your groom that you are a virgin on your wedding night!"—was not always appreciated, and led to his being arrested twice for public obstruction, once in 1980 and again in 1985. "The injustice of it upsets me," he said, "because I'm doing such a good job." He took to wearing overalls to protect himself from spit, several times finding it on his hat after a day's work.
In writing
Waldemar Januszczak
Waldemar Januszczak is a British art critic. Formerly the art critic of The Guardian, he now writes for The Sunday Times, and has twice won the Critic of the Year award...
as worthy of the cartoonist Heath Robinson
W. Heath Robinson
William Heath Robinson was an English cartoonist and illustrator, best known for drawings of eccentric machines....
—who became known for his drawings of ancient contraptions—and the racket it made on print days caused trouble between Green and his neighbours.
Eight Passion Proteins went through 52 editions between 1973 and 1993, noted for its eccentric typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, including the apparently random capitalization of words. Raising the price only slightly over the years, from 10 pence in 1980 to 12 pence 13 years later, Green sold 20 copies on weekdays and up to 50 on Saturdays, a total of 87,000 copies by February 1993. The booklet identified the eight "passion-proteins" as meat, fish, birds, cheese, eggs, peas, beans, and nuts, arguing that "those who do not have to work hard with their limbs, and those who are inclined to sit about," will "store up their protein for passion," making retirement, for example, a period of increased passion and, therefore, marital discord. "We should not let passion defeat us," his pamphlet advised, "either alone or with a sexual friend, for discipline in the single years prepares us for the discipline of marriage." He singled out the BBC for particular criticism, accusing it of spreading "indiscretion, indiscipline, and indecency."
Green was also unable to find a publisher for his only novel, Behind the Veil: More than Just a Tale, which Carter describes as a "colourful account of the danger of passion and the possibility of redemption." Two other manuscripts remain unpublished, a 67-page text called Passion and Protein, and a 392-page version of Eight Passion Proteins, rejected by Oxford University Press in 1971. Carter writes that Green's efforts on Oxford Street were augmented by a letter-writing campaign to the great and the good, and over the years Eight Passion Proteins made its way to five British prime ministers, the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the director-general of the BBC, the editor of The Times, the British Medical Association, and Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
.
Posthumous recognition
After his death, Green's letters, diaries, pamphlets, and placards were given to the Museum of London, and the other artefacts went to the Gunnersbury Park Museum. His printing press was featured in Cornelia ParkerCornelia Parker
Cornelia Ann Parker OBE, RA is an English sculptor and installation artist. -Life and career:Parker studied at Gloucestershire College of Art and Design and Wolverhampton Polytechnic...
's 1995 exhibition, "The Maybe," at the Serpentine Gallery
Serpentine Gallery
The Serpentine Gallery is an art gallery in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, central London. It focuses on modern and contemporary art. The exhibitions, architecture, education and public programmes attract approximately 750,000 visitors a year...
, alongside Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
's shoe laces, one of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's cigars, and Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
in a glass box. Over a decade later, he is still remembered by writers and bloggers, fondly for the most part, though not invariably so: artist Alun Rowlands' documentary fiction, 3 Communiqués (2007), portrays him as trawling the streets of London, "campaigning for the suppression of desire."
Further reading
- Donaldson, William. Brewer's Rogues, Villains, and Eccentrics. Cassell Reference, 2004. ISBN 0-7538-1791-8
- Green, Stanley. Eight Passion Proteins With Care, accessed 26 April 2011.
- Lloyd, Felix. "I’m in training to be an old eccentric", London Evening Standard, 3 December 2008.
- Nevin, Charles. "The Third Leader: Street scenery", The Independent, 13 June 2006.
- Ross, C. "The scourge of sex and nuts and sitting," The Oldie, March 1997.
- The London Traveler. "The Less Protein Man – a sight of old London", accessed 7 May 2011.
- Truss, LynneLynne TrussLynne Truss is an English writer and journalist, best known for her popular book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.-Early life:...
. "Stanley Green," The Times, 25 January 1994. - Wicks, Ben. "Come on up and see my collection of passion fruit", The Toronto Star, 8 March 1986.
- Willis, David. "A consuming passion," obituary, The Guardian, 26 January 1994.