Spitalfields

The Donovan Bros Sign at 46 Crispin Street

The Donovan Bros sign at 46 Crispin Street has a fascinating story to tell, and here’s more about proprietor Patrick Donovan and signwriter Alfred Keil.

22 Feb 2022

The Curious Case of Two French Milliners

Two almost identical painted shopfronts for French Milliners, just two miles about, raise questions about chronology and authenticity.

3 May 2021

A Cluster of Ghost Signs Intrigue in Spitalfields’ Artillery Grounds

A cluster of ghost signs including advertising for a dairy, a boundary marker and a street sign offer some intrigue in Spitalfields’ former Artillery Grounds.

16 Nov 2020

A 1984 Photo of the Spitalfields Gillette Ghost Sign

I first posted about this illustrated Gillette ghost sign on Commercial Street back in 2007 when I came across it on Frank Jump’s Fading Ads blog. Frank told me that the best place to photograph it was from the top of the nearby carpark which led to my 2008 capture above. Recently the sign had […]

25 May 2018

S. Sadler, Brick Lane

This beautiful glass fascia was captured by Brian Heppell after being revealed briefly in 2014 during the fitting of new signage at 192 Brick Lane, London E1. I have looked for S. Sadler by name in the trades section of a number of Victorian and early 20th Century street directories but nothing has come up. […]

17 Nov 2017

East End Shops from Spitalfields Life

Spitalfields Life has published a series of pieces documenting East End shop fronts, in support of the campaign against the forthcoming rise in business rates across the area. I have picked one photo from each piece and would encourage a proper browse of all of them. Fascinating stuff! Alan Dein’s East End Shops John Claridge’s […]

4 Mar 2017