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Ghost signs of Birmingham

Astoness said:
if we look at this street view below the 3 demolished buildings are mobile base...all size xl and emtreme mobiles..blue nile restaurant still up and running..what i cant fathom out is mobile base is butted right up to the wall of the blue nile and extreme mobiles butted up again the tcom building..no gaps..so how come after demo we can see the glass and china sign on the blue nile wall and the other 2 signs on the tcom wall...just cant work it out unless the signs were there before those 3 demolished buildings were actually built...


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lyn
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My thoughts were that older buildings were set back from the pavement and newer additions were built up to the pavement at a later date. Probably been many changes but I was really surprised as these emerged today.
 
There was a James Stevens, variously described as hosier, laceist, and into haberdashery in 103-4 Bull St on directories 1855- He earlier was at 60 High St, moving in Sept 1851 and (if it is the same one) seems to have been described as a button chaser at 115 Constitution hill in 1845. By 1878m he is a linen draper in Great Barr St. Cannot find a J.R.Stevens, and would hav ethought that if he used full initials on the sign he would use it on adverts and directories
 
They say you learn something every day….the sign above the Stevens one has a few readable words but COLZA after seeds had me baffled but…
Colza oil or colza is a non-drying oil obtained from the seeds of rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus.
 
brianthelion said:
They say you learn something every day….the sign above the Stevens one has a few readable words but COLZA after seeds had me baffled but…
Colza oil or colza is a non-drying oil obtained from the seeds of rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus.
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Later known as rapeseed oil, though different from that used now in cooking and usually just labelled "vegetable oil"
 
brianthelion said:
They say you learn something every day….the sign above the Stevens one has a few readable words but COLZA after seeds had me baffled but…
Colza oil or colza is a non-drying oil obtained from the seeds of rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus.
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thanks brian.. those signs have been covered for many years i would say but if the mass demo of that area is going to carry on they wont be there for much longer...at least we have photos of them

lyn
 
mikejee said:
At that time it was used as a a lighting oil, and is used as a lubricant , though I am not sure if it was sued as a lubricant at that time. That used now for edible purposes has been bred to have a different composition
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Also advertising parraffin (extra r) and petroleum on that sign so the former fits well
 
It looks as though the gap (shown on the 1889 map) was filled by this building.
 

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great bri i think its a good idea to get in touch with the media when we find these rare ghosts signs...its our history and should not be forgotten :)

lyn
 
brianthelion said:
They contacted me after seeing my post on the Jewellery Quarter Facebook page. Happy to spread the word! Cheers.
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its great that the press is showing an interest brian maybe it will encourage other members of the public to keep their eyes open and report new ghost signs

lyn
 
brummy-lad said:
It looks as though the gap (shown on the 1889 map) was filled by this building.
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Frederick Restall Ltd. occupied these premises as listed in Kelly's:
1884 to 1892 No. 28
1895 to 1899 Nos. 28 & 29
1900 to 1908 Nos. 28 to 30
1912 to 1932 Nos. 28 to 31
1936 to 1967/1968 Nos. 27 to 33
In 1977 the shops were required for a factory extension.

So from humble beginnings in 1884 (or before?) with 1 shop, they gradually expanded along Great Hampton Street until they occupied 7 shops.
It seems likely that they were probably responsible for 'filling the gap' between Nos. 28 & 29 to link their shops.

More info for Frederick Restall:

Frederick Restall Ltd.

In 1974 Frederick Restall Ltd. (previously trading as Hilton & Restall c.1879) celebrated their 110th anniversary, this company listed as 'house furnishers' was situated in various premises on Great Hampton Street (although prior to this could be found on Gt. Charles Street), in the Kelly's...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
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brummy-lad said:
Frederick Restall Ltd. occupied these premises as listed in Kelly's:
1884 to 1892 No. 28
1895 to 1899 Nos. 28 & 29
1900 to 1908 Nos. 28 to 30
1912 to 1932 Nos. 28 to 31
1936 to 1967/1968 Nos. 27 to 33
In 1977 the shops were required for a factory extension.

So from humble beginnings in 1884 (or before?) with 1 shop, they gradually expanded along Great Hampton Row until they occupied 7 shops.
It seems likely that they were probably responsible for 'filling the gap' between Nos. 28 & 29 to link their shops.

More info for Frederick Restall:

Frederick Restall Ltd.

In 1974 Frederick Restall Ltd. (previously trading as Hilton & Restall c.1879) celebrated their 110th anniversary, this company listed as 'house furnishers' was situated in various premises on Great Hampton Street (although prior to this could be found on Gt. Charles Street), in the Kelly's...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
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Still a going concern in Tyseley!
 
brummy-lad said:
Frederick Restall Ltd. occupied these premises as listed in Kelly's:
1884 to 1892 No. 28
1895 to 1899 Nos. 28 & 29
1900 to 1908 Nos. 28 to 30
1912 to 1932 Nos. 28 to 31
1936 to 1967/1968 Nos. 27 to 33
In 1977 the shops were required for a factory extension.

So from humble beginnings in 1884 (or before?) with 1 shop, they gradually expanded along Great Hampton Row until they occupied 7 shops.
It seems likely that they were probably responsible for 'filling the gap' between Nos. 28 & 29 to link their shops.

More info for Frederick Restall:

Frederick Restall Ltd.

In 1974 Frederick Restall Ltd. (previously trading as Hilton & Restall c.1879) celebrated their 110th anniversary, this company listed as 'house furnishers' was situated in various premises on Great Hampton Street (although prior to this could be found on Gt. Charles Street), in the Kelly's...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
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of course it come back to me now i remember seeing the frederick restall building many years ago when i worked in the jewellery quarter and to own furniture with the restall label on it was quite the done thing if you could afford it

lyn
 
Looks like there was at some stage tailors/outfitters at No. 26 (the building with the J. R. Stevens ghost sign) but no link whatsoever with J. R. Stevens himself. You would think that if he was advertising his shop at 104 Bull Street then it would be on the ghost sign.
 

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If the firm had a shop and a tailoring workshop providing product only for themselves each on separate sites, then they would probably expect most queries to be aimed at the shop, and might not consider it necessary to include the workshop in Kellys. I have previously found addresses which I know were occupied by a firm but with only the main address being listed in Kellys
 
mikejee said:
If the firm had a shop and a tailoring workshop providing product only for themselves each on separate sites, then they would probably expect most queries to be aimed at the shop, and might not consider it necessary to include the workshop in Kellys. I have previously found addresses which I know were occupied by a firm but with only the main address being listed in Kellys
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I'm taking a real punt here but perhaps you could check. The badly damaged advert above the J R Stevens, I reckon the name at the top may be H Sutcliffe. Cheers.
 
mikejee said:
In the 1884 Kellys Isherwood Sutcliffe was a colour maker at 27 Gt Hampton St
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That works. I've looked at the photo now you've told me this and what I thought might be an H is an I to the right of what is the black outline edge of the ghost sign which I mistook for the left upright on an H. Wow 1884. I thought it said paints below and strangely colurs which appears to be misspelled. It might be colors the original Latin spelling of the modern colours however.
 
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brianthelion said:
That works. I've looked at the photo now you've told me this and what I thought might be an H is an I to the right of what is the black outline edge of the ghost sign which I mistook tor the left upright on an H. Wow 1884. I thought it said paints below and strangely colurs which appears to be misspelled. It might be colors the original Latin spelling of the modern colours however.
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well done brian and thanks mike and john now we are getting somewhere..those signs are seriously old
 
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