25 Sep 2024

1001 London Ghost Signs, Mapped

In addition to editing the final text of Ghost Signs: A London Story, there was also a big editing job at the outset: selecting the signs for inclusion. While there were many tough choices to make, the process was made easier via Roy Reed‘s diligent mapping of the city’s fading painted signs, and led to the final selection of 276 signs featured in the book itself.

As the book evolved, so did the online map. This documents signs that are still visible—fortunately in the majority—and those that have been lost. It reached 1,000 pinned signs this month when roger chicken’s 12-year-old son spotted a very faded panel on the wall of 86 Bromley High Street.

Screenshot of a tweet from user @rogerchicken showing a view looking up at a brick wall. Across most of the width of the upper portion is a horizontal panel where it can be seen there was once a hand-painted sign.
This sign has seen better days, but could be for a garage or a grocer from discussions under roger’s post.

Make That 1001!

Roger’s find was quickly followed by another from Flickr’s StockCarPete, who also has a few photos in the book itself. It’s at the rear of 49 Junction Road in Archway, and advertised Parkins Wine.

PARKINS WINE & SPIRIT IMPORTERS & MERCHANTS.
These signs could well date from the late-Victorian era. The advertised the wholesale and retail wine merchants of George Gabrett Parkins. Photo: StockCarPete.

This novel form of signage blends two production techniques. To form the recessed letters, wooden templates—like reverse moulds—were tacked to the wall while the areas around them were plastered. Once the plaster was ‘leather hard’ the wooden letters were removed, leaving their impressions behind. These were then painted in, and in the case of Parkins it looks like red lead or similar may have been used.

There is another example of this method for John Tann’s in the book, and one for Barclay & Fry on my Bankside Ghostsigns Walk.

And Now 1002

While this post was in draft (hence 1001 in the title), and proving that these things do arrive in threes, there was a rapid bait and switch in Kensington last week. On Wednesday, 18 September, a decorator was carrying out external repairs on the Kensington Church Street side of 1 Bedford Gardens, W8, revealing a fragment of old painted signage in the process. This was opportunistically snapped by Nina Harrison who sent me the photo.

Close up of a portion of plastered exterior wall. A randomly shaped section of the plaster has been removed, beneath which there are fading painted letters visible in black on a yellow-brown base.
This fragment is a tantalising glimpse of what lies beneath the plaster on this wall in west London. Photo: Nina Harrison.

I shared the picture here on Mastodon, which prompted some detective work from Jonathan T and Roy Reed. They were able to figure out that this building once housed the nurses working for the Kensington District Nursing Association. You can see the discussion in the replies to this post.

And Counting…

Roy and I continue to maintain the online map that accompanies Ghost Signs: A London Story, and welcome the submission of new discoveries for addition. (Please do check the map first to make sure they’re not already logged!) Likewise, if you have news of one that’s been lost, then that can be updated for the record.

Just like the book, this work continues to be a community effort, so thank you to everyone that has contributed in even the smallest of ways.

Onwards to 2,000!

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