Ghost signs, ghost ads & other phantoms

H. F. PICKELS, – Iron Founder & Dealer in Stoves, &c. No. 7 & 9, E. 4th Street. (Wilmington)

Among the note worthy enterprises of the city of Wilmington, is that of Mr. Henry F. Pickels, doing business under the name of H. F. Pickels. Mr. Pickels established himself in business in 1850, and has been, since, a successful manufacturer and Dealer. He occupies a large and centrally located double store at Nos. 7 and 9 E. 4th street, in the very heart of the business activity of the city. Here he displays a full line of stoves and heating apparatus, much of it, being of his own superior manufacture, with every description of stove furniture, cooking utensils and a general line of tin and sheet iron ware. In conjunction with the business, a large foundry is maintained on Tenth street, east of the Brandywine Creek, having connection by sidings with the P. W. & B. Railroad, and known as the Diamond State Foundry. The buildings, yard for storage &c., cover about four acres of ground, and 120 men are employed, with a yearly consumption of two thousand tons of iron. A superior quality of ship work, iron for cars, and fine castings are turned out here; the stove work, for which Mr. Pickels has a reputation, being also cast in the works. A stock in all of $30,000 is carried and an important industry sustained. Mr. H. F. Pickels is a well-known citizen of public spirit, has been a member of Council and held other important offices; and is one of the enterprising business men to whom the city of Wilmington is indebted for much of her prominence as a manufacturing and commercial city.
[Industries of Delaware, Richard Edwards, Editor and Publisher, Wilmington, Delaware, 1880.] mkk

https://genealogytrails.com/del/newcastle/business_nc_p.html

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These two websites have cloned my original art listings on Ebay and claim to be selling my original art and photography. These websites are scams and my artwork is only available on our Ebay account.

New book ‘Fading Ads of New York City’ chronicles ghost signs as street art

By NICHOLAS HIRSHON

UPDATED: January 10, 2019 at 8:00 PM EST

Mr. Peanut stands, white-gloved hand on shell-covered hip, in a fading ad painted on a brick building in Ridgewood.

At first glance, it seems like a wonderful remnant of a bygone era, perhaps from the 1930s, sure to stoke nostalgia among strap-hangers at the nearby Seneca Ave. subway station.

Frank Jump knows better.

The Queens-raised shutterbug, whose photos form the new book “Fading Ads of New York City,” is adept at tracking so-called “ghost signs” — and spotting the fakes.

Jump, who will sign his tome at the Queens Historical Society in Flushing on Jan. 26, pointed out a few problems with the Planters sign.

First, it faces the rising sun but still seems remarkably colorful. And Mr. Peanut doesn’t look as lanky as in other early Planters ads.

Conclusion: The ad probably dates back only to the 1980s, when it was created, some believe, for the movie “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

No minutiae about such ads escapes Jump’s analysis.

His work is valuable to urban historians due to the fleeting nature of ads he photographed years ago. Many of the buildings on which they were painted have since been demolished.

“I’m just glad I caught some of them when I did,” said Jump, a Far Rockaway native who grew up in Belle Harbor, Laurelton and Howard Beach.

Jump began pitching a book on ghost signs after a 1998 exhibit of his photos at the New-York Historical Society garnered attention from literary agents.

Random House came close to offering a deal before a top executive shot down the project, Jump said. He eventually signed the contract for “Fading Ads of New York City” with the History Press.

The book provides insight into what drives Jump’s seemingly obsessive quest to document ghost signs.

When Jump was diagnosed at age 26 with AIDS, he became “acutely aware of himself as a body that might disappear,” anthropologist Andrew Irving wrote in the book’s foreword.

So Jump photographed ads that seemed, like himself, to be slowly fading.

Jump, who teaches technology at a public school in Flatbush, Brooklyn, snapped many signs in the book by climbing fences and walls.

The hardcover features a mix of fading ads across the city. Jump said he may compile another book devoted to Queens given the strong appeal of his work.

“It hits people on many different levels,” he said. “It has a broader audience than people who are just interested in New York.”

nhirshon@nydailynews.com

Twitter.com/nickhirshon

Originally Published: December 26, 2011 at 2:11 PM EST

According to Jessica Furseth, a journalist living in London, the Take Courage ghost sign’s original purpose was not to boost the confidence of young professionals but to get us to drink; it was a promotion for the local Courage Brewery, founded in 1787.¹. Furseth interviewed me in July of 2017 for her article Chasing Ghost Signs: Searching for Fading Words in London, New York, Melbourne, and San Francisco which was featured in December 2017 for Hazlitt. The phrase had taken on a different meaning for Furseth when, at the moment she first saw this fading ad, she was going into a building for an interview for a job for which she got hired.

A similar billboard in the Bronx can still be seen elsewhere in New York City. These motivational signs were made to inspire people during the COVID-19 pandemic and were not advertising any products. For me, these fading messages have become a metaphor for survival for me since, like myself, many of these ads have long outlived their expected life span. Although this project doesn’t deal directly with HIV/AIDS, it is no accident I’ve chosen to document such a transitory and evanescent subject. Of the hundreds of ads I’ve photographed, many have already been covered up, vandalized, or destroyed. But still many silently cling to the walls of buildings, barely noticed by the rushing passersby.

Frank H. Jump’s photograph – 43W21 Entry Door – Coca Cola Sign
– Flatiron District 1997 (Urban Ediglyph®)
 
 
“The surfaces of New York City combine to provide an ever-changing complexion that is made up of different hues and tones that change and offer a visible measure of time.”  – Dr. Andrew Irving, Fading Ads of NYC (History Press, 2011)
 
New York City is eternally evolving. From its iconic skyline to its side alleys, the new is perpetually being built on the debris of the past. But a movement to preserve the city’s vanishing landscapes has emerged. For nearly thirty years, Frank Jump has been documenting the fading ads that are visible, but less often seen, all over New York. Disappearing from the sides of buildings or hidden by new construction, these signs are remnants of lost eras of New York’s life. Often in New York City and other urban canvasses, you can see the interplay between fading ads, street art, and other texts which Jump calls urban ediglyphs. Edi- from edifice and -glyph from ancient wall markings combine to describe the dynamic between graphic street art and Coca-Cola vintage advertising that predates emoticons. Here, Jump had photographed the front door or 43 West 21st Street in the Flatiron district, knowing that this image would disappear due to the rapid development and reconstruction in this dynamic and vibrant quarter of New York City. This framed 11” x 14” Cibachrome was on exhibit at the HERE UNDER Gallery on Sixth Avenue in 1999, the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center in 2000 and at the Fading Ad Gallery in Brooklyn from 2004 – 2006.
 
This vibrant photographic image captures the essence of the evanescence of our urban landscape. The image, produced in 1997 using the KODAK Cibachrome technique, showcases vivid contrasts and intricate details of this front door that was later transformed into a luxury condominium. It is an excellent addition to any collection of photojournalism or street art. The photograph features an array of colors that make it a unique and eye-catching piece. Its focus on street art makes it a valuable addition to any collection of photojournalistic images. The image’s production technique adds a touch of authenticity to its vintage feel. – Frank H. Jump, author of Fading Ads of NYC (History Press, 2011)

For Sale on Ebay for $600

The Kinney Tobacco Company was an American cigarette manufacturing firm that created the Sweet Caporal cigarette brand and promoted it with collectible trading cards. Being a leading cigarette manufacturer of the 1870-1880s, it merged in 1890 into the American Tobacco Company. – Wikipedia