25 May 2018

A 1984 Photo of the Spitalfields Gillette Ghost Sign

I first posted about this illustrated Gillette ghost sign on Commercial Street back in 2007 when I came across it on Frank Jump’s Fading Ads blog. Frank told me that the best place to photograph it was from the top of the nearby carpark which led to my 2008 capture above.

Recently the sign had been partially covered by some building works immediately in front. Philip Marriage‘s 2016 picture below captures this.

Commercial Street, London E1. Photo: Philip Marriage (2016)

I was back in the area recently for an excellent East End Walk and we happened to head up Commercial Street, and past the sign. The building works have been completed and the sign is once again visible, most clearly a little way up the road towards Spitalfields Market, and of course from the car park. I was then reminded of Philip Marriage’s 1984 photograph below which captures the sign itself, and the unrecognisable nature of the area at this time in comparison to how it is today.

Commercial Street, London E1. Photo: Philip Marriage (1984)

Thanks again to Philip for sharing his photography, see more of his work on the Ghostsigns blog here.

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