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Old shop front revealed on Atlantic Road

editor

editor

hiraethified
I love it when a piece of Brixton's past unexpectedly reappears for a few moments.

The outline of the old neon 'Stones Television and Radio' sign has just emerged blinking into the 21st century during refurbishment on 222, Atlantic Road.


atlantic14.jpg

1962

atlantic15.jpg

2007

atlantic18.jpg

Today

Full story: http://www.urban75.org/brixton/history/atlantic7.html
 
Says a lot for the shitty shopfronts that we get nowadays. If a shop shuts, there's rarely a single trace left a few months (hours?) later because the signage is usually made from cheap, plastic stick on stuff.
 
A newsagents near us recently had a refurbishment and the old "tobacconist" sign was revealed when they replaced the later one. I find this stuff really interesting, also the huge old, faded Victorian painted billboard ads. There are quite a few around Walthamstow and Leyton.
 
its fascinating when you see that

got one recently in EDulwich , when the rank of shops were being converted to urban living spaces

i found a pic on someones flickr

3240457187_8e4facf4d5.jpg
 
am alos fascinated by the faded wall paint signs you can still spot . esp in SE London

have no pics tho' - this is my mission for this year !

isnt there an old Bovil one or soemthing next to teh Rizty in Brix ?
 
On the bus to camberwell the other day - saw 'Don't be vague, ask for Haig' in faded paint on the top part of one building poking over another.
 
I've snapped quite a few around Brixton - one day I'll get around to putting them all together on a page.
 
That's interesting.

I'd noticed in the last week or two that they were doing some work on that building (which has been looking in a pretty bad state for a while). I was wondering whether it was serious renovation or just the usual bodge job to get a crappy shop in there. I had decided it was the latter. But from your photo it looks like they are putting some scaffold at first floor level too, so maybe they are doing a bit more than just another cheapo shop fitout.

I suspect the remnants of the "Stones" signage will soon enough disappear behind a new neon/plastic sign again.
 
not-bono-ever said:
am alos fascinated by the faded wall paint signs you can still spot . esp in SE London

have no pics tho' - this is my mission for this year !

isnt there an old Bovil one or soemthing next to teh Rizty in Brix ?
Click to expand...

There's a couple visible as you walk up Electric Lane (on your left going from Altlantic Rd through to Electric Avenue).
 
If you are on the top deck of the bus towards oval you can see a faded paint on bricks sign saying ''FOR YOUR THROAT'S SAKE, SMOKE''
 
the other day, i just noticed a 'where the wild things are' mural in streatham, opposite the SLP - does anyone know if it's ancient or new - i never noticed it before
 
editor said:
I've snapped quite a few around Brixton - one day I'll get around to putting them all together on a page.
Click to expand...
Have you got the old 'Theatre Bar' one under the Noodle House/Gyozo shop sign? It's beautiful black and gold and in very good nick. The mirror indoors by the stairs is original as well.
 
I was going to post a story about another bit of signage history. When I was a kid we use to go to Wilson the bakers on Brixton road. It closed in about the 90s and sometime last year, the shop finally was sold to someone else and they started renovating it. Now underneath was a glass sign for Smidt. ( I think I spelt that right) Some where at this point I noticed a sign on the wall next to the shop for Smidt the bakers. And that made me think whether this was a german family who changed their name to protect business during the war. I had seen a picture from the 20s of Wilson's bakers so i knew the family had been around for a long time. Well, at the archives I looked in directories around the 1920s and earlier and found that in 1915 it was Mrs Amelia Wilson the Baker and in 1912, it was Mrs Amelia Smidt the Baker.... So I will make the leap of faith that it was the same people. The Smidt family opened the bakers in 1891 which does mean that the glass signage which was exposed last year dated between 1891 and 1912... and I think it probably ended up in a skip... :( (and silly me didn't take a photo)
 
Atlantic Road still is incredibly busy. How often have you walked down it during shopping hours? Also it makes Lambeth about a million quid a year in parking fines.
 
I've never thought about the rise of shop awnings, but check out the contrast . . . It's going to be an interesting day :hmm:
 
It's sad that the building with the cupola seen in the picture on the corner of Electric Avenue remains in such a parlous state. It#s been empty for as long as I can recall.
 
teuchter said:
That's interesting.

I'd noticed in the last week or two that they were doing some work on that building (which has been looking in a pretty bad state for a while). I was wondering whether it was serious renovation or just the usual bodge job to get a crappy shop in there. I had decided it was the latter. But from your photo it looks like they are putting some scaffold at first floor level too, so maybe they are doing a bit more than just another cheapo shop fitout.

I suspect the remnants of the "Stones" signage will soon enough disappear behind a new neon/plastic sign again.
Click to expand...

They've actually been working on it for months. Looks like they've been lowering the floor, digging out lots of dirt..
 
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