posted
Last year a gentleman came into the studio and asked if we could do some hand lettering on a peddle car that he had received for Christmas as a child. It was in really bad shape but was to go to a body shop for restoration, but he needed someone to replace the hand lettering. I took patterns off the little car and he left for the body shop.
It was six months before he brought it back. It was in perfect condition.
I found out that he had received the little car as a Christmas gift in the 40's - almost the same year I was born. He had kept it all these years and wanted a memento to pass on to his grandchildren.
As I did the lettering I couldn't help but imagine an old sign painter back over sixty years ago sitting and doing the same thing I was doing. My shop was well lighted and heated - comfortable, with music playing in the background. He probably was working in a dingy garage with a dirt floor and a light bulb hanging from a cord, heated by a wood or kerosene stove.
His paint may have mixed from pigment and lead while mine was out of a can all ready to use. Thinner was turpentine or maybe even gasoline while mine was a special mixture that matched the temperature.
There was probably not a lot of difference in the brushes we used.
It was a nice time of trying to visualize what he looked like and how he felt while lettering this little car for a man that was about to give it to his son for Christmas. He was a taxi driver here in Temple and may have used a sign painter by the name of Lee (Raymond Lee)who was still painting signs when I was in high school, although an old man by that time.
I'm not sure who lettered the little peddle car, but I would like to think that it was Raymond Lee because I have some of his gold leaf and other articles that were purchased from his widow back in the 60's. It was nice to think that while I admired his work way back there (and he had no idea who I was) that I was getting to reproduce his design over 65 years later.
Lawyers and plumbers don't get those experiences, I don't think.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
Cool stuff Raymond. And while this job most likely didn't fill the bank account in a big way I'll bet it was more worthwhile than many that did.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
It felt good to have a brush in my hand. And while my 66 year old hands didn't shake, there must have been something wrong with the lighting because the little details were hard to see.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- Michael Clark Clark Signs 138 W. Main St. Aledo, IL 61231 clarksigns1@yahoo.com www.clarksigns.net Posts: 241 | From: Aledo, IL | Registered: Sep 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Nice work monsieur Chapman!! It put a smile in my face everytime I see you still get to do hand lettering work! And always rewarding to bring back memeories for people.
Life is so good!!
-------------------- Pierre Tardif P. Tardif Inc. 1006 boul. PIE-XI sud Val-Belair QC. Canada G3K 1L2 418-847-4089 pierre@ptardif.com Posts: 800 | From: Quebec city | Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged |
I had the same thing happen to me a number of years ago except it was a grandmother who purchased one for her son. I think that model was about 1967 or so and in about the same shape. I totally redid it and it was a success. I wish I could see the smile on the kids face when he gets that as a present!
Awesome job!
-------------------- Brian Diver PDQ Signs Everett, Wa
posted
It's quirky jobs like this that make the sign industry so enjoyable. Nice work.
-------------------- Dirk Rampling Far South Design South Pambula NSW Posts: 39 | From: South Pambula NSW Australia | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
posted
That looks great Raymond! I miss the days of brush lettering. So much, that I am resupplying my brushes and paint and going to do more hand lettering on my signs. ONe of the people whos work I love, Todd Hanson, still does everything by hand and turns out some awesome work, not to mention Pierre also.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Wow, that's really nice. I hoped you signed and dated it somewhere.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
![[Applause]](graemlins/applause.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic