Printing Works, Walthamstow

The printing works in Walthamstow High Street were established between 1882 and 1896, most certainly by George Oscar Dawson (according to the 1882 edition of Kelly's Directory of Essex, the only printers in the area were Phelps Brothers of Beulah Road, whose origins went back to 1862, and Robert Willis and Frederick Smith both of Orford Road. Dawson appears in the 1896 edition of Kelly's London Suburban Directory). By 1901, the printing works were owned by Everett Brothers according to Kelly's London Suburban Directory published that year. Everett Bros. remained in business until the death of W. H. Everett in 1923. Following this tragic event, the premises were bought by The Walthamstow Press Ltd, a company formed the very same year with a capital of £8,000 in £1 shares. It seems the main purpose of The Walthamstow Press Ltd was to print the Walthamstow and Leyton Guardian, a newspaper founded in 1876 by Robert Willis (the aforementioned printer), Walter Booth and Samuel Herbert. In 1935, the company moved to new premises, Guardian House on Forest Road. What happened to the High Street printing works after that date is unknown to me. However by 1956 the premises were occupied by brassfounders Swinburne and Sons.

Printing Works.

The style of this ghost sign is reminiscent of others painted in the late 19th or early 20th century but who, between Dawson and Everett, was behind it is impossible to tell.

Was W. H. Everett related to the Everett who owned the drapery and millinery store on St James's Street, Walthamstow?

Location: High Street / Picture taken in February 2010

Millbridge motor & cycle works, Walthamstow

All this company seems to have left is this ghost sign south of Walthamstow centre.

Millbridge
Motor &
Cycle Work
Location: The Crescent / Picture taken in February 2010

Everett's Stores, Walthamstow

For quite some time this large ghost sign remained hidden behind a billboard. When the latter was taken down earlier this year what was previously advertised finally appeared.
Everett's Stores was located about 50 yards south of St James Street station in Walthamstow as a picture of St James's Street taken in 1906 and available on the Francis Frith website reveals (Everett's is on the very right of the photo, behind the horse-drawn carriage with the tea advert). The name is mentioned in several documents published between 1894 and 1930 but none provides any additional information about the business.

For
Drapery &
Millinery
Everett's
Stores
It looks as if this wall had been previously covered by another sign.

Location: St James's Street / Picture taken on: 17/02/2010

The London Co-op, Walthamstow

The word of the week in the campaign for the next general election was "co-operative", with David Cameron renewing his pledge to give public sector workers the opportunity to form worker co-operatives to run services. One has to admit that it isn't very often that tories can be heard celebrating the co-operative model, and within a co-operative movement traditionally closer to Labour, many eyebrows were raised!
I am not going to look any further into this proposal and the reactions to it, but at least it gives me the opportunity to post a painted sign for the London Co-operative Society, although this was not a worker but a consumer co-operative. You can find here a brief history of that particular co-operative society, which was formed in 1920 and amalgated with the Co-operative Retail Society in 1981.

Owned & Controlled
By Its Members
Join the London Co-op
London Likes It!
I really like the combination of colours and different typefaces. A lovely example from the 1950s (the design looks very 1950s to me but I may be wrong).


If only I had such a handwriting...

Location: Frederic Street / Pictures taken on: 17/02/2010