Research
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What was John Bull?
A magazine or a tyre brand? Or something else? While working on refining the categories for the archive I came across two signs which I am now uncertain about and I need your help. These are both for brands that adopted the moniker John Bull, which I now understand is a generic character akin to […]
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Black Cat Audio
Fascinating audio giving some history behind the Black Cat sign on Dingley Road, EC1. This includes the observation that the growth of the cigarette industry in the early part of the last century was partly fuelled by the fact that soldiers fighting in the war were given fags in their rations. They then got hooked […]
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Ariel / Writers update
Photos courtesy of Graham Parker. Following some of the information provided by Jerry in the comments on this post about the Ariel/Writers sign in Kennington I’ve been sent a couple of fascinating pictures by Graham Parker. The first of these shows the front of the shop as it once was, although looking pretty closed down […]
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James Ashby & Sons (Rose Brand Fine Teas)
James Ashby & Sons, Union Street, SE1 Rachel at Jerwood Space recently told me that the building at 195-205 Union Street is currently awaiting final confirmation of its demolition and development. It may not be long before the building and its little piece of ghost sign history is lost forever so I got down there […]
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Hovis Update
Some time ago Rosemary tipped me off about this well preserved Hovis sign just off Green Lanes in Harringey which I’ve now got round to photographing. It is an excellent example, well preserved, and strikingly similar to the one in Islington (see below) in terms of the logo and design. However, the slogans differ, this […]
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Pulse of the Planet
A while ago I submitted some photos and general information to a competition run by USA science website Pulse of the Planet. And I won (!) with this picture of one of my personal favourites from Stoke Newington Church Street, N16. Interestingly one of the two runners up prizes went to another Stoke Newington sign […]