Out along the Ashton Canal discovering another ghost sign

Seen from the canal

Ghost signs are often all that is left of a business which once thrived, served the community and have long since vanished.

You can find them almost anywhere and until recently I took them for granted.

But these faded hand painted signs and their glass enamelled equivalents tell a story of our commercial and industrial past encompassing the corner shop to the giant enterprise and I am fascinated by them.

And so are other people.

Ron Stubley captured this one while on a walk along the Ashton Canal at Crabtree Lane in Clayton commenting that he took them with me in mind.

On Crabtree Lane

Angie Thomas followed this up with some research discovering that “Eva Brothers Ltd were Forgemasters and Engineers since 1889.”

And with that as a start I wandered off to that excellent site Grace’s Guide* to find that in 1909, “the partnership of James Eva, Archibald William Eva, Victor Eva, Arthur Eva, and Frank Eva, carrying on business as Forge-masters, at Crabtree-lane, Clayton, Manchester, under the style or firm of "EVA BROTHERS," was ended. 

All debts due would be settled by Archibald William Eva, Victor Eva, Arthur Eva, and Frank Eva, who continued the business under the same Style.”

And during the rest of the last century it was acquired by various companies until in 1982 it was bought by Anglo-Indonesion Corporation plc which is where the story ends although I am sure there is someone who can add more.

On the VIA LUIGI DE MAIO

So I shall leave the Ashton Canal and Eva Brothers and end with another ghost sign but one I found in Sorrento a few days ago which no doubt will get a few people muttering about holidays in the sun.

But given we were there I couldn’t resist capturing this one on VIA LUIGI DE MAIO.

It was according to the fast fading sign a shop selling furniture but was now a pizzeria and one day I shall try to find out more.

Pictures, Eva Brothers, Crabtree Lane, Clayton, 2014, courtesy of Ron Stubley and the ghost sign on the VIA LUIGI DE MAIO, 2014, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*Grace's Guide, British Industrial History, http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Eva_Brothers