Hennessy, Pleine-Selve

If yesterday's Simca sign is best seen when coming from the north, Pleine-Selve's second ghost sign can only be seen when approaching from the south. This is somehow logical as it targeted people heading potentially towards Cognac.

Over the years two signs have been painted on this building, both for Hennessy. The original one covered the whole wall while the more recent version only used the left half. The letters of the the former still emerge, even on the part of the wall that was later painted white. This original sign read:

Cognac
Hennessy

Cognac house Hennessy was founded by Richard Hennessy in 1765, an Irish officer in the army of French king Louis XV. Nowadays, Hennessy is the world's largest producer of Coganc and part of LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the multinational luxury goods group. The website of the Cognac house includes several pages about its history illustrated with photos and documents.

The second version of this ghost sign did not promote Hennessy's cognac directly. Instead it invited people to go and visit the cellars (chais) where cognac is matured. These are located in Cognac, on the bank of the River Charente.

Visitez à
Cognac
les chais
Hennessy

In the upper left corner the sign painter included the coat of arms of the Hennessy family, which is also since 1856 the symbol of the brand. It represents a fist clutching a hatchet, a reference to the military career of Richard Hennessy.

Location: D 137, Pleine-Selve, Gironde / Pictures taken in May 2012