Pudding Lane - Fire of London - City of London Vitrolite Street Sign (1940s)
Pudding Lane E.C.3. City of London
Vitrolite (Milk glass) sign with inset painted lettering in its original alloy mounting frame. City of London. Post WWII, late 1940s. Measures 99cm x 39cm x 2cm. Excellent in-situ condition. Please inspect the photos carefully.
Pudding Lane is a small street in London, widely known as the location of Thomas Farriner's bakery, where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. It runs between Eastcheap and Thames Street in the historic City of London, and intersects Monument Street, the site of Christopher Wren's Monument to the Great Fire.
This original vitrolite sign has been encased in its mounting frame since it was first installed in the 1940s. It was removed in 1989 when the City of London replaced all the vitrolite signs with new enamel ones at a cost of £335,000. The news article in the photos describes the decision to auction off the old vitrolite street signs via Bonhams in 1991 raising £83,000. Included in the sale was this 'Pudding Lane' sign which achieved a staggering £2,200 owing to its association with the Great Fire of London. In todays money, that's £6,000.
The use of vitrolite (sometimes referred to as milk glass) was used widely across Britain for street signage from the start of the 20th century through to 1940s. It had the advantage of being bright and reflective in dimly lit streets, never fading and easy to keep clean. The inset lettering made it easy to touch up the paint as and when required. However, the signs were heavy, breakable and expensive to produce and by the late 1930s lighter and cheaper enamel signs were the preference across the London boroughs. The City of London were unusual in that they installed new vitrolite signs after the war whilst everyone else was making the switch to enamel. This was presumably to restore the character of the City which was so heavily bombed.
This item is very heavy and being glass is vulnerable to damage. Therefore this is only available to UK customers. Collection from Bristol area or delivery can be arranged, cost depending on your location.
UK Customers Only
Pudding Lane E.C.3. City of London
Vitrolite (Milk glass) sign with inset painted lettering in its original alloy mounting frame. City of London. Post WWII, late 1940s. Measures 99cm x 39cm x 2cm. Excellent in-situ condition. Please inspect the photos carefully.
Pudding Lane is a small street in London, widely known as the location of Thomas Farriner's bakery, where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. It runs between Eastcheap and Thames Street in the historic City of London, and intersects Monument Street, the site of Christopher Wren's Monument to the Great Fire.
This original vitrolite sign has been encased in its mounting frame since it was first installed in the 1940s. It was removed in 1989 when the City of London replaced all the vitrolite signs with new enamel ones at a cost of £335,000. The news article in the photos describes the decision to auction off the old vitrolite street signs via Bonhams in 1991 raising £83,000. Included in the sale was this 'Pudding Lane' sign which achieved a staggering £2,200 owing to its association with the Great Fire of London. In todays money, that's £6,000.
The use of vitrolite (sometimes referred to as milk glass) was used widely across Britain for street signage from the start of the 20th century through to 1940s. It had the advantage of being bright and reflective in dimly lit streets, never fading and easy to keep clean. The inset lettering made it easy to touch up the paint as and when required. However, the signs were heavy, breakable and expensive to produce and by the late 1930s lighter and cheaper enamel signs were the preference across the London boroughs. The City of London were unusual in that they installed new vitrolite signs after the war whilst everyone else was making the switch to enamel. This was presumably to restore the character of the City which was so heavily bombed.
This item is very heavy and being glass is vulnerable to damage. Therefore this is only available to UK customers. Collection from Bristol area or delivery can be arranged, cost depending on your location.
UK Customers Only
Pudding Lane E.C.3. City of London
Vitrolite (Milk glass) sign with inset painted lettering in its original alloy mounting frame. City of London. Post WWII, late 1940s. Measures 99cm x 39cm x 2cm. Excellent in-situ condition. Please inspect the photos carefully.
Pudding Lane is a small street in London, widely known as the location of Thomas Farriner's bakery, where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. It runs between Eastcheap and Thames Street in the historic City of London, and intersects Monument Street, the site of Christopher Wren's Monument to the Great Fire.
This original vitrolite sign has been encased in its mounting frame since it was first installed in the 1940s. It was removed in 1989 when the City of London replaced all the vitrolite signs with new enamel ones at a cost of £335,000. The news article in the photos describes the decision to auction off the old vitrolite street signs via Bonhams in 1991 raising £83,000. Included in the sale was this 'Pudding Lane' sign which achieved a staggering £2,200 owing to its association with the Great Fire of London. In todays money, that's £6,000.
The use of vitrolite (sometimes referred to as milk glass) was used widely across Britain for street signage from the start of the 20th century through to 1940s. It had the advantage of being bright and reflective in dimly lit streets, never fading and easy to keep clean. The inset lettering made it easy to touch up the paint as and when required. However, the signs were heavy, breakable and expensive to produce and by the late 1930s lighter and cheaper enamel signs were the preference across the London boroughs. The City of London were unusual in that they installed new vitrolite signs after the war whilst everyone else was making the switch to enamel. This was presumably to restore the character of the City which was so heavily bombed.
This item is very heavy and being glass is vulnerable to damage. Therefore this is only available to UK customers. Collection from Bristol area or delivery can be arranged, cost depending on your location.
UK Customers Only