Vintage The London Institute for Applied Research Award Certificate 1973 (LIAR)

Faux Joke Awards and Honors Certificate

Approx: 19.25" x 14.5"

These were from a fund-raiser for the British Association for Gifted Children. Many respectable schools were awarding honorary degrees to wealthy people who then, mirabile dictu, made substantial donations to that school. At a fund-raising BAGC meeting the maker proposed the notion of doing the same thing, except for a very small donation, and having fun with it, hence the creation of "L.I.A.R." He made clear in the one and only ad run (in the Diners Club magazine, Signature), and in fund-raising mailings, that it was all a joke . . . the diploma was garishly ornate. Much of the academic world thought it was a great gag, and a portion of the academic world was deeply offended at making fun of the hallowed honorary degree, but it sure helped buy a lot of science materials and art supplies for a lot of very worthy kids. The quote above was from a post I found that was from the maker of these award certificates back in 1973