By: Yiran Liu

Weighing 18 kg, a giant chocolate button with a diameter of one meter is displayed at the Glenside Hospital Museum in Bristol, England. Artist Luke Jerram created this project. It is included in the Bristol 650 celebration, marking 650 years after King Edward III gave Bristol its charter.

Bristol’s history with chocolate goes back to 1753 when Joseph Fry opened the first chocolate shop in the world in Bristol. Their factories were very successful and since then numerous objects relating to the history of chocolate production in Bristol have been discovered. This year marks 650 years since Bristol was made an independent country. Throughout 2023, five outstanding things objects will be recreated into more extensive chocolate replicas. The first to be made was a ship’s wheel representing the city’s trade history. The second chocolate remake, the chocolate button, is now on display to the public.

This chocolate button represents the numerous patients that would reside in Glenside Hospital Museum. Buttons would have been stitched onto clothes made for patients in the sewing room to provide them with suitable clothing to work within the hospital. The creator, Luke Jerram, hopes that his new project will allow more tourists to come to see the wonders in Bristol. “I hope this new artwork will engage people in finding out about our city’s history, in a fun and interesting way. To engage with history by literally consuming and digesting it!” he said.

The actual button that the magnificent work was based off of was 100 times smaller than the replica. When built in 1861, the Glenside Hospital Museum was a state-of-the-art hospital for people with mental health issues. The button emphasizes the layers of the history of mental health care in Bristol.

This chocolate button was not only made for observing beauty but also represents the care and compassion towards patients in the Glenside Hospital Museum. To sum up, this celebrates the independence of Bristol and caring for patients.