No.27
Porter-Milady
Location: Winnipeg, MB
Date illuminated: July 29, 2017
Permanent launch: September 22, 2023
Layers: 2
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Location & Viewing Hours
On display nightly: Sunset 'til late!
Generously supported by:
Layered History
This is a palimpsest - a ghost sign showing multiple worn ads painted on each other. This specific sign - nicknamed 'Porter-Milady' - has two discernable layers we were able to revive. Learn more below about the businesses and brands that called this building home.
Layer 1
Painted 1906
Porter & Co.
James Porter started Porter and Company in 1902 as a wholesale crockery and china firm, selling repackaged goods to retailers across Western Canada. In 1906, he built 165 McDermot Avenue to support his growing business and operated out of the location until the company ceased operations in 1943. This sign on the west side of the building is a listing of the products the company sold.
c. Dec. 11, 1911 — From a postcard published by Lyall Commercial Photo Co., Ltd., Winnipeg, Man.
c. 1969 — York University Archives
c. June 2, 1948 — The Winnipeg Tribune
c. 1918 — Galpern’s Candy Factory Workers, Archives of Manitoba
Layer 2
Painted in 1945
Milady Chocolates
The L. Galpern Candy Company was founded in 1907 by Louis Galpern and is best known for its Fine Candy brand and as a manufacturers’ agent for Milady Chocolates. The third oldest candy manufacturer in Winnipeg, their confectionery caught on and the family company grew into a large operation, moving from their Jarvis Street operation to 165 McDermot Avenue in 1943. The business ceased operations 30 years later in 1973.
About the collaborators
Craig Winslow
Light Artist & Experiential Director
Craig Winslow is an artist and designer who employs light to create playful, narrative-driven visualizations and immersive experiences. He was awarded a creative residency by Adobe in 2016, during which he started Light Capsules. Since then, he has continued this augmented restoration project to revive faded hand-painted ads around the world. His permanent exhibition 'Brilliant!' launched in Las Vegas in 2018 at The Neon Museum, and was expanded upon in 2021.
Matt Cohen
Urban Archaeologist, Founder ghostsigns.ca
Matt Cohen is a brand strategist, urban archaeologist, and the driving force behind ghostsigns.ca. Since 2013, he's been documenting Winnipeg's collection of fading ads, leading downtown walking tours, and delivering promotional signage presentations. In 2021, he published Canada’s first ghost sign walking tour book.
Additional Viewing:
Writing On The Wall – Documentary
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