Layers
This is a palimpsest - a ghost sign with multiple worn ads painted over each other. This specific sign, nicknamed 'Westminster Gazette,' has three discernable layers we were able to revive. Learn more below about the brands that were advertised on Stoke Newington's Church Street.
Layer 1
Painted 1920's
Westminster Gazette
The Westminster Gazette was a highly influential Liberal newspaper based in London. It was known for publishing sketches, short stories, travel writing, and political cartoons. Launched on January 31, 1893, the paper quickly became one of the most respected, best-edited Liberal publications in London, making it essential reading for politicians on both sides of the political aisle.
The paper was dubbed the “pea-green incorruptible” thanks to its green paper, which made it easier to read under artificial light on a train or omnibus.
In November 1921, after a decline in circulation and revenue, the owners switched from an evening to a morning publication. Post-WWI, the paper was no longer a vehicle for the sort of reflective journalism it was previously known for, and on February 1, 1928, it merged with the Liberal Daily News.
Layer 2
Painted 1930's
Criterion Matches
Criterion Safety Matches were advertised in the 1930s in print and on buildings. Some ads, such as this ghost sign, promoted the company's gift schemes with the "Great Gift Scheme / Save the Packet Labels" call-to-action flanking the hand-painted matchbook.
Criterion matches were sold in packets of 12 boxes, each containing about 45 matches. Customers redeemed the labels for prizes: 100 labels for 7 lbs. of fruit bonbons, 1,500 for either a guitar or 1 lb of Russian caviar, and 1,700 for a fine rug from Turkistan. Some labels also offered cash prizes of £275.
Although Criterion matches may have remained available for a few years after the Second World War, they appear to have vanished from British homes by the late 1950s.
Layer 3
Gillette
The final layer that can be distinguished begins with the signature letter "G" in the Gillette logo. Although historical photos of this advertisement have not been published, so its painted date is undetermined, we were able to identify and revive the tagline "BRITISH MADE RAZOR (&) BLADES."
