'Ghost sign' discovered on Guernsey High Street
BBCA so-called ghost sign thought to be from a Victorian art supply store has been uncovered by renovations on Guernsey's high street.
Ghost sign is the term used for old, hand-painted advertising signs on buildings which have since changed use.
Ladies College history and geography teacher Tom McGovern said he spotted the sign on the wall of number 40 High Street in St Peter Port while on a walk and had been researching its origins.
McGovern said it was a "privilege" to see the sign and the well-preserved red paint lettering, which usually faded over time, was quite clear.
McGovern started his own investigation into the sign by sharing his images with a UK-based signwriter to see if they could date the lettering style.
"She said it's actually quite hard to put an age on sign, but presumably it's very early 20th Century," he said.
He then spent time looking at the history of the building in local archives and phone books from the era.
Mr McGovern said the 1903 phone book revealed the shop was an art and needlework supply shop run by a Mrs Grut, but the 1899 edition showed it was an artist supply shop run by a Mr Hanky.
"Looking at the sign, [I] can perhaps see the remainder of the word envelopes and paper - and I didn't quite think that fitted with the needlework shop," said Mr McGovern.
"A bit more digging might reveal a bit more, but that's my best guest - it's Mr Hanky's shop."
McGovern said that, while it would be nice to preserve the sign, it was unclear how much was still intact, and the decision would be at the discretion of the building owners.
He said: "We can't preserve everything - I know it might seem a shame.
"I think it's just quite a privilege to be able to see it... I don't think the sign writer who painted it thought it was going to visible in [potentially] 127 or so years time."
