DAVID MANN Meats and Provisions

"DAVID MANN Meats and Provisions"
Small date of June 1886.
Looks to have been embellished recently, but the original sign does date back that far.

In this photo dated 7/29/1930, you can just make out the large hanging sign (reading "MEATS" at the far corner:


PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 16 June 2010. http://www.phillyhistory.org.

Most recently Famulus Books.

S 22nd St & Rittenhouse Square [map]

A. L. LEVIS

"A. L. LEVIS
EST. 1896
SODA WATER ICE CREAM & LIGHT
LUNCH"

Established in 1896, this sandwich shop operated continuously for nearly 100 years. Known for their hot dogs, sandwiches, fish cakes, ice cream and signature soda, Champ Cherry®. You can read a little about the history of Levi's here.

Here's a photo from 1961, with all the signage still intact:


PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 10 June 2010. http://www.phillyhistory.org.

The large vertical neon hot dog sign visible on the front of the building in the above photo was restored by the Davidson Neon Museum and in this photo is sitting atop the North Star Bar at the corner of 27th and Poplar Streets:



UPDATE: According to the North Star Bar, the neon sign has been removed from the 27th and Poplar location and is currently in cold storage.


Original location, 6th Street between South and Lombard [map]

Pat Steaks

Former Little Fish restaurant, closed due to structural problems. After removing aluminum siding on second and third stories, "PAT STEAK" signage appears. Wonder if it had any connection to the other famous steak joint by that name?

6th and Catherine Streets [map]

Hot Dip Galvanizing

"CATTIE GALVANIZING CORPORATION" horizontally along XXX Street.
"HOT DIP GALVANIZING" vertically at each corner of the building.
Possibly older signage appears beneath.
Still in operation.

Gaul and Letterly Streets [map]

107

Address numerals "107" faintly visible at the top of this rowhouse. More signage, now illegible, running vertically along the edges and between the windows.

Part of the group of buildings that are/once were part of the Trenton China Pottery Co. (other signage covered previously).

107 N 2nd Street [map]

Uncovered in Point Breeze

Large letters - "... H (O or U?) E ..."
Below - "...(PA)SSYUNK Av. ABO(VE?)..."

Had this forwarded to me by a fan of the site.

Recently uncovered in a friend-of-friend's South Philly rowhome during major renovation. The owner's house was built next to a (corner?) rowhome that obviously had an advertisement on it's exterior, and it was remarkably well preserved when the walls went up next to it (much like the covered portions of this sign). The sign runs up the wall through both stories of the owner's house...

Looking at the map, it appears that at some point Wilder Street may have run through this triangular-shaped block to Point Breeze Avenue, or at least there might have been a driveway to the large space behind the houses.

UPDATE - Commenter Mike sent us this interactive map overlay website by the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network, according to which, as far back as 1895 in the Philadelphia Atlas by G. W. Bromley, the area clearly shows a driveway, or at least a space, between the rowhouses opposite Wilder Street. Traffic on 21st street travels south, which would explain the desirability for a sign against this north-facing wall. Correction: Traffic at one time travelled NORTH (see comments), which makes sense as this sign faces SOUTH. See here:





I've contacted the owners to see if I can dig up anything. More information soon!

21st and Dickinson at Wilder Street (no longer visible from the outside) [map]

1950s Posters Uncovered in Tube Station

Not Philadelphian, but very cool. Renovations at the Notting Hill Gate tube station uncovered these midcentury posters in an abandoned hallway. The hallway used to lead to elevators, which were replaced with escalators from 1956 to 1959. These signs have been hidden away from sight for fifty years!

See more photos in this Flickr set.

Notting Hill Gate, Kensington, London [map]