Petrol & Diesel, Hackney

A ghost sign revealed when the office block at the corner of Curtain Road and Hewett Street was demolished.

Petrol

& Diesel

Location: Curtain Road, Hackney

J. Booker, Crowborough

This ghost sign was painted on side wall of John Booker's shop (click here to see a photo). Born in 1853, John first worked as an assistant at a grocer's in Hadlow Down. By 1881 though, he had become a master grocer and draper in Jarvis Brook, next to Crowborough train station. By the early 20th century he was also working as a sub-postmaster. To run his shop, he employed his daughter Grace as grocer's clerk, as well as six live-in servants. He lived there until his death in 1933. Grace then inherited the property and she may have kept the shop open for several more years.

It seems that during the two decades of the 20th century, the shop in Crowborough Cross, which is mentioned on this sign, was run in partnership with Mr Filtness (there is a photo of Booker & Filtness's shop here). John Booker also owned a general shop on Queens Road but it may have opened after this sign was painted, hence its absence here. 

J. Booker

Family

Grocer & Draper

Branches

Crowboro Cross & Jarvis Brook

Location: Crowborough Hill, Crowborough

Reich Brothers, Montreal

As it is sometimes the case in Montréal, this ghost sign combines English and French words. It is painted on the wall of the Magasins de l'Hôtel-Dieu IV, a warehouse and office building erected in 1875 by the nuns of the Order of St Joseph on the site of their former hospital. When Reich Brothers moved in c. 1940, the company only rented the eastern part of the building but as business expanded, it ended occupying the whole building. Reich Brothers stayed until 1975. In spite of what this ghost sign suggests, Reich Brothers imported essentially luxury products.

Reich

Brothers

Ltd

Importateurs

Smallwares

Articles

de fantaisies

Jouets

Location: Cours Le Royer, Montréal