These three white-on-red brick ads are especially tough to decipher because one, if not all, of the words have fallen victim to the elements.
This one is in East Harlem on a building at Second Avenue and 109th Street. Hartketcher? Hoffketcher’s? It’s a total mystery.
At least the “Tea Co.” part is legible in this Tribeca ad. But whose company was it? The small type on the right looks like it could say “in Holland.”
Tribeca (the name wasn’t coined until the 1970s) used to be the center of dry goods distribution in New York City.
Could the bank name in this ad be the Corn Exchange Bank Trust Company? Founded in New York City, it dates back to 1852. In 1954 it merged with Chemical Bank, and eventually the Corn part was jettisoned.
Tags: Corn Exchange Bank Trust Company, faded ads in New York City, faded ads on buildings, old ads, vintage building ads
Ephemeral New York 
August 3, 2009 at 11:28 am |
Hi Wild,
The signature in the first ad belongs to Charles H Fletcher, of Fletcher’s Castoria, a children’s laxative from the 19th Century, still made today.
Here’s the Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher's_Laxative
August 3, 2009 at 11:30 am |
Hello Again,
Be sure to copy and paste the full link, above, to get to the story of Fletcher’s Castoria.
Sorry,
FTA
August 3, 2009 at 2:29 pm |
Thanks Force Tube. Here’s the full link. Fletcher’s Castoria has quite a history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher%27s_Laxative#cite_note-3
August 3, 2009 at 8:42 pm |
here is a link to an Edison film from 1899 going across the Brooklyn Bridge showing a wall advertisement of Fletcher’s Castoria in the opening scene.
http://memory.loc.gov/mbrs/edmp/1734.mpg
August 3, 2009 at 8:49 pm |
here is a good packaging image too:
August 3, 2009 at 8:53 pm |
Wow, that is cool footage! The Fletcher’s ad has the same lettering as the one on 109th Street. Thanks for sending the link.
September 23, 2009 at 2:30 pm |
Your blog is outstanding!
Here is the url of the blog from the Archives of the Sandusky Library if you would like to take a
look:
http://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com
September 23, 2009 at 2:38 pm |
Thanks! I’ve never been to Sandusky but the blog is very cool.
February 28, 2011 at 2:55 am |
[…] That’s for Fletcher’s Castoria, a children’s laxative popular in the 19th century. Fletcher’s had ads all over the city; here’s one on 109th Street and Second Avenue. […]