Tuesday 24 August 2010

Cognac: the right bank of the River Charente

Let's continue our exploration of Cognac, Charente, and look at some of the ghost signs found on the right bank of the River Charente.

First in a narrow street is a bar that certainly hasn't seen any customer for a long time...

Bar Français

Location: Rue du Vieux Pont

Next comes this mysterious advert.

Aux classes laborieuses
... à tout le monde
... Franc par semaine
At the Working Classes'
... Everyone
... Franc per Week

On the one hand, there were (and still are in a few towns) clothes shops called 'Aux classes laborieuses'. They specialized in clothes for work. So this could have been one of them. On the other hand, the last line, which quotes a price of one franc or less per week, could suggest a newspaper or magazine. Just to make it a bit more complicated, it seems there was something else painted where the second line stands.

Location: Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny

Round the next corner was a business that catered for owners of horse-drawn vehicles.

Harnachement en tous genres
[Harnesses of All Kinds]

A list of works undertaken was written on the blind window under 'genres'.

Garniture
Peinture
Forge
et
Charronage
Upholstery
Painting
Forge
And
Cartwright's Work

Location: Rue de l'Abreuvoir

A few metres away, facing a shady square, stood this former bakery. It seems the premises housed another trade at some point.

Remont... [Remontant ?]
Boulangerie
[Invigorating ?]
Bakery
Two words were written in the space between the two windows but I can't decipher them. Then, in very small letters, 'Ecurie' ('Stable') was added later.

Location: Rue du Vieux Pont

Finally, just by the bridge over the River Charente, one could buy some coal.

Charbons
...ieurg...

The second line was painted twice and unfortunately I can't distinguish all the letters.

Location: Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny

Tomorrow we'll cross the bridge and look at some of the ghost signs found in the city centre.

1 comment:

max said...

"Aux classes laborieuses" - in this context probably "For the workers", making this a minimum wage political message.