Wednesday 29 February 2012

Ghost signs

You don’t see many ghost signs around but a few can still be found here in Chorlton. They are the hand painted adverts which adorned the walls of buildings from the last decades of the 19th century right through in the middle years of the 20th.


To be accurate a ghost sign is one that for whatever reason has been preserved, often long after the product, company or shop has vanished.
I found three today, although one has already been painted over, but a faint out line is still visible. There may be more.


Of course in town there will be plenty and where I grew up in south east London there was also the faded signs for air raid shelters and emergency water supplies.


I must find out more about Cooper's and the garage where the last of my signs comes from. It has been a garage for over 50 years.
Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson

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