Carter Paterson & Co, Brixton

Carrier company Carter Paterson was founded in 1860 by Walter Carter, John Paterson James Paterson, and Robert Paterson. It adopted the name Carter Paterson & Co on January 1, 1869 and in 1887, it became a limited company. Its head office was located at 128 Goswell Road, EC1. Like other leading carriers, Carter Paterson & Co worked closely with the railways. In October 1933 the Big Four railway companies (Southern Railway; Great Western Railway; London, Midland & Scottish Railway; and London & North Eastern Railway) took control in equal shares of Carter Paterson & Co Ltd. The company then operated as a subsidiary of another carrier the Big Four had bought at the same time, the Hay's Wharf Cartage Company Ltd. Following the nationalisation of railways in 1948, Carter Paterson was absorbed into British Road Services.

In the late 19th century Carter Paterson was the country's largest carrier, with more than 2,000 horses in its 20 London depots. One such depot was in Mandrell Road in Brixton. The company acquired the premises, which included stables and several buildings, in 1901. These were largely rebuilt and enlarged in 1904 to meet growing demand for the company's services in the area.

CP & Co
Brixton Depot

The same text was painted twice. The original sign used a slightly larger typeface.

In 1948 the depot became the property of British Road Services but it seems BRS closed it a few years later. The property was then purchased by Danish brewing company Tuborg (see yesterday's ghost sign).

Some information about carriers in the late 19th century and their horses can be found in Chapter 3 of The Horse-World of London by W. J. Gordon, published in 1893 (the paragraphs about Carter Paterson are after the third illustration).

In 1983 a large mural, which appropriately includes horses, was painted by Jane Gifford, Ruth Blench, Mick Harrison and Caroline Thorpe. Sadly its future, and that of the Carter Paterson ghost sign, now seems uncertain as a developer has applied to build nine apartments on the site of the former depot.

Location: Mauleverer Road

Tuborg lager, Brixton

Even if brewing company Tuborg moved out of its premises in Brixton more than 30 years ago, the sign on the wall looks amazingly fresh.

Location: Mandrell Road

Butlin's holiday camps, Brixton

Below Brixton's famous Bovril ghost sign is a fragment of a sign for Butlin's holiday camps. It is far less special than the one in Birmingham (the post also includes some information about the company) but is, as far as I am aware, the only one in London.

The typeface is characteristic of Butlin's adverts from the 1950s and 1960s but the blue colour for "Butlin's" makes it unusual. Indeed in the vast majority of cases the name was written in red (the very colour of the jackets worn by entertainers and stewards). The website of the Daily Telegraph has another rare example of an advert from the 1950s in which blue was used.

Even though most of the second line has disappeared, the last letters make it easy to tell what was written there. However the final line is a bit of a mystery.

Butlin's
Holiday Camps
... ...ber

Location: Windrush Square

Bovril, Brixton

Here is a large ghost sign many Londoners will be familiar with: Bovril in Brixton.

Four years separate the photos above from the one below. The sign itself hasn't changed but Windrush Square is now far less green. Shame really.

The ghost sign for the meat extract developed by John Lawson Johnston in the 1870s isn't the only one on this wall but more about this second sign tomorrow.

Location: Windrush Square

Royalty rackets, Brixton

The start of the Wimbledon fortnight gives me the perfect opportunity to post a ghost sign promoting a tennis racket manufacturer. However contrary to the advert for En Tout Cas, which was strategically placed between Southfields station and the tennis courts, this one is nowhere near SW19. It was painted on the premises occupied by H. E. Hayward and Co, whose leading brand was Royalty Rackets.
I doubt this was a very successful company. The only document available online in which it is mentioned is a 1950 issue of The Builder, in which we learn that consent has be given to alter H. E. Hayward's building. Was any Royalty Racket ever used by a player at Wimbledon? Maybe not.

Royalty
-----
H. E. Hayward & Co
Tennis Rackets
Manufacturers
112^E Brixton Hill
-----
Rackets
Location: Blenheim Gardens / Picture taken on 15/05/2011

S. Errington, Brixton

Few signs are as elegant as the one advertising S. Errington's furniture business. The different fonts and additional decorative elements are cleverly used to suggest excellent service and furniture of very good quality.

S
Errington
Dealer In
Antique
&
Modern
Furniture
-----
Furniture
Bought,
Sold Or
Taken In
Exchange
Location: Dulwich Road / Picture taken on: 16/07/2009

Our Sons, Brixton

Our Sons, the complete outfitters, was located at 18-22 Electric Avenue. It also had a branch at 35-36 The Promenade, Golders Green. This is what we learn from an advert printed in the South London Press in 1915. That is pretty much all the information I found on that business.
This ghost sign was painted at the back of the shop and was large enough to be seen from trains passing Brixton (without stopping) on the South Eastern & Chatham Railway's section of the Inner South London line, and by passengers waiting for or alighting from their Victoria-bound train on the platform of the Chatham main line at Brixton station.

Our Sons Ltd
Men's Wear

Agents for Wolsey Smedley Aertex Celanese

Dexter Jantzen Bukta Tootal

Inspection Invited
This sign was painted over an earlier advertisement for Our Sons, and potentially for another business too. These are the different words I managed to identify with their location on the wall: Take [above the manicule]
...
...ive [between the fingers]
...
For [above Our]
A...
Jantzen [below Our Sons Ltd]
...
...
To ... [same level as Wolsey]
Our Sons [just below Smedley / Jantzen]
Official ... [below Aertex]
Loca... [below Celanese]
...
Location: Electric Lane / Picture taken on: 09/04/2008

Wok Away, Brixton

After 30 posts, this blog it taking a break as this afternoon my partner and I will be on our way to China. I know there are still some slogans dating back from the Cultural Revolution in Beijing and a few other places, but I am not sure whether I'll come across some painted signs. In the meantime, here is one in Chinese, spotted not even in Chinatown but in Brixton. I am not so sure about the name of the restaurant though: Wok Away...


Location: Acre Lane / Picture taken on: 09/04/2008