Look hard to see this vintage Hershey’s sign on the Bowery

You might need a pair of readers to really see the Hershey’s brand name in this weathered sign hanging from the facade of 354 Bowery, between East Third and Fourth Streets.

But there it is embossed on both sides, advertising Hershey’s Ice Cream—which despite the similar lettering apparently has nothing to do with Hershey’s Chocolate.

How long has the sign been there? No earlier than 1940, as it doesn’t appear in the tax photo from that year archived by the New York City Department of Records and Information Services. This stretch of the Bowery back then was all hardware stores, sign makers, and a low-rent hotel called the Gotham.

However old it is, this it’s a charming relic of a time when the Bowery made room for a deli or luncheonette with ice cream on the menu. It might qualify as a “privilege” sign—a store sign featuring a brand’s name and logo, and typically the name of the store. The store owners didn’t have to pay for the sign because it was free advertising for the brand.

To see a clearer image of the sign, visit the Facebook group Ghost Signs—this snap was taken by Tori Terazzi back in January.

This is the coolest coffee sign in New York City

In a city with almost as many coffee places as bank branches and most of them bearing chain store logos, it’s hard to believe that this wonderfully generic plastic sign hasn’t been replaced . . . or fallen off.

It’s on West 21st Street west of Fifth Avenue, advertising a slender coffee house that consists of basically a long counter and chairs—the kind a different New York used to have on almost every block.

Except for the ATM machine by the door, nothing about this storefront seems to have changed in half a century; it’s a sliver of the city frozen in time.

The appeal of a West Side parking garage sign

I couldn’t find any information on when this sign went up outside the parking garage on 43rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

But the colors and the stylistic “garage,” not to mention its wear and tear, give it a vintage old New York feel.

It’s a strangely uplifting sight in an area once bookended by the super low-rent Hotel Carter and divey Smith’s Bar and is now home to sushi restaurants, a Westin Hotel, and the sleek offices of Yahoo.

Vintage Coca-Cola signage on faded storefronts

Are these real Coca-Cola store signs—or just temporary props put up for a film shoot?

I might say the latter if I didn’t see them myself. There aren’t many delis, drugstores, and luncheonettes left in New York featuring the familiar red and white Coke logo.

Spotting one is like a trip back in time. The Starlite Deli fluorescent sign continues to light up West 44th Street in Times Square.

A handmade sign advertising Coke and 7-Up, now that’s a rare find. This one is on Carmine Street.

This corner shop in Astoria apparently still stocks 20th century artifacts such as school supplies, cigars, and “pocketbooks.” It’s under the N train elevated tracks.

Ghostly faded signs of the West Side

Maybe these businesses advertised on the side of a building in the West 30s are still around, but I can’t find a record on any of them.

I’m glad the ad is still holding on against the elements. It’s a ghostly glimpse into New York’s business past.

Most of these firms are related to the printing business: photo engineering, paper suppliers, etc. Yet strangely, tucked in the middle is an ad for the U.S. Navy publicity bureau. 

Old phone exchange signs cannot hide

Two-letter telephone exchanges offer a glimpse into pre-1960s Gotham, and it’s always a treat to uncover new ones.

The Regent Sign Company prefix was spotted on a storefront on West Eighth Street currently undergoing renovation. AL?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you needed to enter this old loft building in SoHo back in the day, you’d call WO 6-1048. I wonder if anyone still answers the phone at the P & G Elevator Company.