Hastings
This painted wall advertisement on 35 Croft Road has clearly
been preserved during the painting of the surrounding render although,
thankfully, not retouched in any way:
2019
image courtesy David Gaylard
'T.
NOAKES
PLUMBER
PAINTER
& GLAZIER.
WRITING GRAINING
AND
GILDING.
ESTIMATES GIVEN'
This ghost sign on the projecting wall on a rising hill out of
the town clearly caught the eye of passers-by. The quality of the
signwriting is striking with a combination of fonts and curving
baselines. Working from the top, the first two lines appear to have
been painted over, perhaps when the business changed hands after the
retirement of T. Noakes. Weathering has partially revealed the
lettering. The rather utilitarian roles of lines two, three and four
('Plumber Painter & Glazier.') are terminated by a full stop,
perhaps to separate from the more up-market services: 'Writing Graining
and Gilding.' – the latter written in decorative capitals with larger
caps ('W' and 'G').
Incidentally, a book from 1873 bears the typically over-long title: The Painters' & Grainers' Handbook : A
Complete Illustrated Guide to Painting, Graining, Distempering,
Sign-writing, Gilding, and Glass Embossing with Instructions for Using
the Patent Graining Rollers, also Specimens of Alphabets With numerous
useful Receipts [sic] for Painters and Decorators. So the
'Writing' part must refer to signwriting – one must assume that
this sign was executed by Mr Noakes himself. 'Graining' is a technique
of imposing an artificial wood-grain finish to a painted surface. Paint
effects and finishes were once again in demand in the 1980s and 90s
with a whole range of new materials and tools.
Apart from the flourishes surrounding these last three services, one
must also note the vestigial drop-shadow which has been subtly added to
every character/word on the sign. Unobtrusive, but giving a touch of
class.
A
view of Croft Road