Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Ghost Walls

Ever noticed faded signs on old buildings? Here's one I saw in Vankleek Hill, Ontario for some sort of "Castoria." Lovely typography but I bet the product tasted pretty awful.
Footnote: My friend Olive emailed me and pointed out that "Castoria" was a brand of medicine (and not castor oil as I thought) so I did some research. On the site Forgotten New York I read the folowing: Charles H. Fletcher began selling his Castoria, a mild stomach remedy for children, in 1871. The medicine was heavily promoted on ads and billboards in the late 1800s and early part of the 20th Century, and evidently the paint used for the ads was of a very high grade, because several ads survive to this day all over town.
To see more walls with Castoria ads click on Forgotten New York.
Thanks Olive!

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