HP Press Release

Smiles from across the UK have created the world’s largest photo exhibition, featuring over 33,000 smiles.

LONDON, August 26, 2005 – BRITISH smiles are today being celebrated as the UK claims another Guinness World Record with the opening of the largest photo exhibition ever.

33,401 smiling photos have been donated to the record attempt by people across the UK. These will feature in the exhibition at the Royal College of Art 26 – 29 August 2005.

But smiling most are the children reliant on the work of NCH, the children’s charity. For every smile photo donated to the record attempt, the NCH received 25p from Hewlett Packard. This money will be spent on projects to help disadvantaged children across the UK.

Smile donations varied heavily between regions, and although Manchester was named “Smiling capital of the UK” in a study earlier this year1, they were beaten by Hull who topped the table for most smiling pictures donated to the record attempt (2300).

Ian Whittaker, HP Vice President, Imaging and Printing Group UK & Ireland, said “This record proves that British people are still great smilers, no matter what. Hopefully the British smile will become as famous as the British stiff upper lip.”

Claire Tickell, NCH Chief Executive, added: “The money British smiles have raised in this World Record success will help NCH to give more children a future worth smiling about.”

Celebrities have also been keen to add their famous smiles to the record attempt, with Ken Livingstone, Mary Nightingale, Sian Lloyd, Dermot Monaghan and Brian Conley all uploading private pictures at www.hp.com/uk/smile to help the charity.

People can even still be part of the exhibition, with cameras and photo-printers on hand at the Royal College of Art to allow visitors to take, print and put up their smiling pictures.

The exhibition will be open to the public at Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2EU, 26 – 29 August 2005. Opening times are between 10am and 5pm.