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I was doing some research at my local Library today on turn of the century store fronts, when I came upon this interesting photo taken around 1912 in Port Angeles.
I can barely make out the name on the sign, I think it says Johnson and Bork or Borr, not sure, but it's interesting. Check out all the knot work and the lettering, and what looks like two pictorials...
What a big sign and they do house painting as well as signs!!
The sign in front of the door appears to be gilded and suspended from a metal bracket.
I took the picture with my digital camera from the photo which was only the size of a postcard so it's a bit hard to see.
Only Letterheads would 'oooo and ahhhhh' over these things...
I believe in the early days, signwriting was just an extra little service some house painters chose to offer. Prior to that it was very much a DIY affair for shopkeepers and tranters. I’ve read that the term signwriter wasn’t coined until the early part of the nineteenth century.
My grandfather was a house painter in Brighton (UK) and did a lot of gilding and cutting-in on fancy plasterwork – very much a feature of Brighton architecture. My father must have been inspired by this and became a signwriter as soon as possible.
This photo was published in a local Brighton newspaper some time ago and I meant to post it here after re-discovering it. Hope you won’t mind me adding it to this thread. The man with his left hand on the palette could well be my dad, he was working for Bush Signs in the ‘20s and it certainly looks quite a bit like him.
Arthur
-------------------- Arthur Vanson Bucks Signs Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England arthur@buckssigns.co.uk -------------------- Posts: 805 | From: Chesham, Bucks, England | Registered: Mar 2002
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Hey that was the first quicky stickie shop in the world!!!!!!!! one month later they added to the sign over the one that said house and sign painting. They added the words " and decals" to it. Go back and look at it. You'll get it.
-------------------- Ryan Young Indocil Art & Design indocil@comporium.net 803-980-6765
I highjacked Letterville!! Winter Muster 2004 Posts: 904 | From: Rock Hill, SC | Registered: Sep 2001
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Great picture. The name of the business was Johnson & Bork. The building was one of the first built in Port Angeles. It is still standing on the corner of Lincoln and Front, where Parker Paint is now. The inside is pretty much like it was back at that time...just remodled. I have several pictures of it in my collection. Just before he sold to Parker and retired, the great grandson of Percey Bork gave me a box of "carriage Paints" from that era. I also have a can of "Gold Size". In the Kellogg Collection you can see many signs painted by thier signpainters. Some are very ornate. I will dig out some of my old pictures and show you...remind me There were also some transient signpainters around at that time doing some interesting work. I believe I have a sign of the "Olympus Hotel" that was painted by Percey Bork...but I can't find a signature. It was from that time period. I would love to see thier original sign. Bill Bork (great grandson) thinks that the one hanging above the door was cut-out of cedar and guilded. Unfortunatly thier are no color pictures from then.
Cool heh?
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
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Fun stuff, Adrienne. I have one here someplace that Mike Jackson sent over a long time ago - a pic of Atkinson standing in front of a sign shop somewhere in the Midwest. Same look and feel, as I recall. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Kool stuff, but I thought it was saying House and Sign Painters.com
-------------------- Ed CJ Williams CJ Graffx Christiana,Pa. cjgraffx@comcast.net Just have'n fun.... Posts: 296 | From: Christiana,Pa. | Registered: May 1999
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Adrienne, thanks so much for posting that photo! I just love looking at those old ones, staring intently to get all the little details, I've got some photos of Port Townsend old signs from a trip there 10+ yeas ago, will have to get them out. Arthur, that Bush Brigade unit is fantastic, those crazy spiral wheels!!!, You can imagine what that shop atmosphere was like, with them making such a unique promotional "shop truck"
An idea.... kind of an offshoot of the "mini meets" idea... people would bring their collection of old signs/shops/historic signs, etc....and sit around and "go back in time"
"Old is Gold"
John Lennig / SignRider
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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I was thinking as I posted this late last night that Jackson probably knows the whole scoop in this sign shop!! LOL!!
He IS, y'know...the Mayor of the Underground city here!!!
I wonder if they have an attic.....?
Arthur! That is awsome!!! I was hoping to get people to dig up some olde time memorabilia....
It's facinating!!
OK, Jackson, I'm holding you to that, and Monday I'm headed to the Historical Society to see what I can find there. I'll drop your name, see if they'll dig out the good stuff!!
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Adrienne, I really get a kick out of these old photos. Thanks! I'm looking forward to any more of these you round up. By the way, I thought Jackson was the Mayor or do they call it Major in your neck of the woods?
Arthur, that's one of the coolest old sign trucks I've seen! Like John mentioned, I really enjoy looking at the details in these old photos and those spiral wheels are a real eye-catcher. (perhaps an almost hypnotic effect when in motion?) Also, is that a trailer mounted piggy-back on the truck?
-------------------- Chris Elliott 1longshot@classicnet.net cell 62084two2232 Posts: 686 | From: Scottsdale, AZ & Anthony, KS, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Good to hear Johnson & Bork are not forgotten and that the building still exists. Pleased you were hoping for some other photos Adrienne. I think the Bush Sign Brigade truck looks like a prop straight out of a silent movie, the Keystone Cops or some such, and those wheels! As Chris and John suggested, I see them hypnotizing a moustachioed villain, bent on pursuit. Chris, I’m sorry but I’m not sure what a trailer mounted piggy-back is. I see a wheeled escape (ladder), might that be the same thing, but different terminology?
-------------------- Arthur Vanson Bucks Signs Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England arthur@buckssigns.co.uk -------------------- Posts: 805 | From: Chesham, Bucks, England | Registered: Mar 2002
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Arthur, a piggy-back trailer is just a pole trailer carried on the back of a logging truck for the return trip to the woods. After you mentioned the wheeled escape (ladder) I checked the photo again and you're right, it does look more like a ladder to me. (Do you turn the wheels to adjust the length of the ladder?) The term wheeled escape is a new one for me but I'm always amazed at the things I learn hanging around this place. Even though we share a common language the different terms used in England and America always seem to catch me by surprise.
Adrienne, I'm a lowsey spellor too! Just happened to catch that one & couldn't resist mentioning it.
-------------------- Chris Elliott 1longshot@classicnet.net cell 62084two2232 Posts: 686 | From: Scottsdale, AZ & Anthony, KS, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Can you imagine the dialogue that's going on in that photograph? " Golly, Mr. Bork, I really like this sketch that you've come up with. Do you mind if I take this and show it to my wife and partner?
The guys standing in the doorway are thinking to themselves: "If he lets that bozo take that sketch, that'll be the last we see of him, but we'll probably get to see the finished sign...done by the competition."
Want to bet that SOME things have stayed the same over the years?
-------------------- Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail: kjmlhenry@rogers.com
Why do I get all those on-line offers to sell me Viagara, when the only thing hardening is my arteries ? Posts: 2684 | From: London,Ontario, Canada | Registered: Feb 1999
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After looking at that truck pix, it looks to me like it might have been a humorous entry in a parade somewhere, similar to a shriners unit, hence the spirals on the wheels, the oversized brushes and mahl stick sticking out through the palatte hole, etc. The ladder looks like a bit of humor in the addition of wheels at one end, and a headach ball and rope at the other. It looks like a 32 foot ladder(wood), and anyone who has ever carried a 32 Ft wooden ladder around knows how heavy it is, so a nice set of wheels would be handy. Ladders where used as rigging for lifting signs in the days before boom trucks, Often they were laid up on a flat roof with just the first rung hanging out over the street, then a block and fall was attached to the rung with the rope used to winch up the sign. With the rest of the ladder on the roof, you could put an amazing weight on the pulley ropes without tipping the ladder. The headache ball is a weight used to steady the ropes when dangling several stories. Then the whole crew is doing a take-off on a fire truck, complete with helmets....sign trucks did look alot like old fire trucks. I say the old folks had senses of humor too!!
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
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Chris, now I see what you mean, that’s some truck – not seen a logging wagon like that. Here is a picture of a Pump Escape Fire Tender, the ladder, or escape, was mounted on a wheeled base-frame for easy manoeuvring when unshipped, and winches affixed to the base-frame extended it. No doubt you had them in the US, but again, termed something else, perhaps.
The festival, or parade, theory sounds pretty good Jeff, and thanks for the information on sign rigging, I hadn’t noticed the 'headache ball' and wouldn’t have had a clue what its purpose was. I’ve never worked much above 25 feet, but an uncle (also a signwriter) did a pictorial at the top of massive, brick-built, factory chimney from up and over ladders – gulp! – think I might have had a headache that week!
Arthur
[ February 09, 2003, 08:24 AM: Message edited by: Arthur Vanson ]
-------------------- Arthur Vanson Bucks Signs Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England arthur@buckssigns.co.uk -------------------- Posts: 805 | From: Chesham, Bucks, England | Registered: Mar 2002
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I agree that Jeff's got a good, logical theory about the parade deal but deep down in my heart I hope that even back then sign guys were perfectly willing to run around in a wild-looking vehicle every day!
Arthur, I've never seen anything like that Pump Escape Fire Tender but now understand what you were talking about. I guess our version would be the hook & Ladder trucks which have 2 drivers. The second driver sits at the back of the trailer with his own steering wheel so they could navigate in tight quarters. Made for some great chase scenes in the movies!
-------------------- Chris Elliott 1longshot@classicnet.net cell 62084two2232 Posts: 686 | From: Scottsdale, AZ & Anthony, KS, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Thanks Doug for posting that. I fixed the link to the picture by the way, some people have emailed me that it wasn't coming up. All fixed.
I have another great old picture but my scanner is down at the moment. I'll post it soon.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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There were also some transient signpainters around at that time doing some interesting work. I believe I have a sign of the "Olympus Hotel" that was painted by Percey Bork...but I can't find a signature. It was from that time period. I would love to see thier original sign. Bill Bork (great grandson) thinks that the one hanging above the door was cut-out of cedar and guilded. Unfortunatly thier are no color pictures from then.
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