Pilsen is a fascinating playground of both architecture and history for even those mildly interested in Chicago's past. Ghost signs are tangible pieces of history that allow for some detective work, which is part of the reason why I enjoy research so much. For those not familiar with this term, a ghost sign is a remnant of the bygone era of advertisements painted on the side of a building. They often remain unnoticed to many, but as a preservationist, I relish in spotting these faded signs. Especially exciting is when you see the old phone exchange – even before before 312 was split into 773. The sign for the Nea Agora Packing Co. on Taylor Street still has a sign with an old exchange. But I digress - I like ghost signs because these ads tell a story. You can deduce the population of the neighborhood at a certain time in history often by what was trying to be sold to them. The Woolworth sign was hard for me to make out at first. However, after talking to a long-time resident I found that the building the sign is on, was actually a Woolworth at one time.
This sign for "Skala" is on a building on the 1600 block of W. 21st Street. I can't quite make out what it says below (other than S. Loomis) but it's interestingly juxtaposed against the new facade veneer.
Pilsen has quite a few of these ghost signs, these are just the few I have managed to document.
2 comments:
Skala National Bank
this has nothing to do with the signs, but i used to live in a building that looked just like that. it was really inefficient. hot in summer and cold in winter. the owners remodeled everything and fixed it all up and it cost less than one third to run my air conditioners in my bedroom and living room after that. the lesson here is that it pays off to fix air leaks and insulate.
Post a Comment