You can look for a ghost sign and then two turn up at the same time, ......... on Burton Road with T Seymour and Dawson

2014

Now this is one of those stories which in the course of telling changed quite dramatically.

It began with a picture of a faded ghost sign on Burton Road which had recently been obscured by a new sign.

But having written the account and shown it to Andy who took the picture he dug deeper and the story went off in a totally unexpected way.

So here is the original followed by Andy’s new research.

Now I find ghost signs fascinating but sometimes the weather, the passing years and just neglect conspire to all but obscure their story.

1962

And so it is with this one which Andy saw recently on the corner of Burton Road and Cavendish Road.

Usually there is something more to use to explore who had the sign painted and what they offered.

But in this case what was left is now hidden and I doubt will ever give up its secrets.

There will be those who mutter “so what?” which I think is a shame.  Ghost signs are part of our history and lead you off into wonderful stories of the people who lived there.

But perhaps not this one, which is a shame.

Not content with my defeatism Andy went off and combed the old images from the City’s digital collection and came up with not one ghost sign but two and a little bit more into the bargain.

1908

Back in 1962 our sign proudly advertised T Seymour Mead & Co Ltd, Tea and Provision Merchant.

They were a chain of grocers which had spread across the city and beyond during the early 20th century.

But go back to 1908 and the gable end announced the business of Dawson who specialised in Boots.

Now I have yet to find out anything about Dawson, but just a few years later the same shop was in the hands of  John William’s and Sons who were grocers.

Nor is that all for on both of these older photographs the premises next door had yet to expand in to the gap next to Mr Williams shop.

So there you have it, a story within a story and a lesson in doing the research first.

Pictures; of the sign today from Andy Robertson, and in 1962 by J F Harris, m42948, and in 1908, m41729, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

Research by Andy Roberston

Picture; courtesy of Andy Robertson, 2014