Castrol, Lille

This large trompe-l'oeil above one of Lille's mairies de quartier (the neighbourhood's branch of the city hall) could do with some fresh paint as its colours are slowly fading but it is nonetheless a welcome addition to the cityscape.

Surprisingly the lower part of the pinkish façade of the building on the extreme left of this trompe-l'oeil has faded much more than the rest and revealed the presence of a ghost sign for Castrol, the brand of automotive lubricants launched by Charles C. Wakefield & Co. in 1900. For more information about Castrol, check the company's timeline.

The presence of this Castrol ghost sign could suggest a garage or petrol station once stood on this site. This seems to be confirmed by the wider-than-usual pavement in front of the curved façade of the mairie: a former petrol station forecourt maybe?

Location: Rue Pierre Dupont, Lille, Nord / Pictures taken in June 2012