Reynard St, Coburg.
This was the one that started it all. Solid gold uncovered by some unknowing developers. But, the developers giveth and the developers taketh away. Pretty soon there’s going to be some ugly-arse townhouse thrown right up in front of this piece, to be lost again until the next developer wants to get a piece.
FUN FACT: According to the friend who lives here, there’s a shed out the back which is labelled on the plans as a “potato shed.”
This sign is back along the wall from the J. Thomson sign. My best guess is “Blue Label”, which was a brand from Bushells (which you can also make out in the Bushells Tea post.)
Above is a shot of the top corner of the building. This bit had been exposed the whole time. You can see what sort of condition that rest would’ve been in had it been uncovered to the elements.
This is the street view. I can’t for the life of me work out what any of that might say, (Bruns 862 is all I can see.) Also, going by the type, it looks like it is the same signage as the “top corner” photo directly above, but different to the big one on the side. May well be two different signs for two different owners.
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Hi there.
Great reporting of this uncovering. I’ve also been fascinated by it (my kids go to school across the road) and have posted on it:
http://findingtheradiobook.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/an-uncovering.html
Also, there’s a 1952 reference to this grocer in the online archive of documents from the Lewis and Skinner sign writing company:
http://www.lewisandskinner.com/items/show/1720
Ad nice to see others also enraptured by ghost signs.
This place is opposite where my kids go to school, and I was just as excited as you to see the sign revealed. My online archive of signwriting documents actually has some jobs for Thomson’s place – a repaint of a White Crow tomato sauce sign from 1952 and a repaint from 1955:
http://www.lewisandskinner.com/items/show/1720
http://www.lewisandskinner.com/items/show/1791
…and another just up the road:
http://www.lewisandskinner.com/items/show/1384
Cheers,
Stefan
Thanks Stefen! … You’ve got an amazing resource there!
I’m hoping to get this blog fired up again soon .. it’s a pity life gets in the way sometimes!
Cheers