Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Under Doro's

In 2013, Doro's Annex closed after 33 years of arranging flowers in Chelsea. Recently, the awning came down, revealing some antique signage.

Reader Mike Glicksman sends in these gorgeous shots:



"PAINTS, OILS, GLASS, VARNISH &c &c" reads the very old ghost sign.

The style looks like cousin to the ghost sign of the Utah House, discovered beneath Kyung's market, dating back at least to the 1870s. Experts and historians, please weigh in.

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11 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 11, 2015 at 8:54 AM

    the products seem to be for boat maintenance which would make sense for a business near the piers. If so, it would likely be from a time prior to the large White Star/Cunard steam ship era of the piers.

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  2. MitchMarch 11, 2015 at 10:07 AM

    What an amazing sign. And nothing on it to give a name to the establishment, just what it sells.

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  3. Matthew J. KuhnertMarch 11, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    Several editions of Trow's New York Directory for the 1870s and 1880s list Levi L. Livingston's paint business at 180 Ninth Avenue. According to his obituary in the New York Times (February 28, 1882, page 7), he helped to organize the Association of Master Painters and was well regarded as a decorative painter. In his later years, Livingston had lucrative contracts to provide painting services for companies that operated steamships and elevated railroads in the city.

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  4. GojiraMarch 11, 2015 at 11:10 AM

    Looks even older than that to me. The use of "&c&c" in lieu of "et cetera" was an 18th/early 19th century borrowing from the British, and just the style of the painting and the use of that phrasing makes me think it might be closer to 1820-1830. Would be interesting to know how old the building is.

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  5. AnonymousMarch 11, 2015 at 12:29 PM

    According to the designation report for the Chelsea Historic District, the building was constructed in 1848.

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  6. Chelsea NeighborMarch 11, 2015 at 1:43 PM

    Thanks for the alert—I took a few photos this morning and by now the signage is covered with a strips of wood and Tyvek. A worker said people came by in droves yesterday to take pictures of the spectacular typography (and that great double ampersand!). Another piece of Chelsea history going away, but at least safely (?) covered for the next storeowners to discover.

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  7. Jeremiah MossMarch 11, 2015 at 3:20 PM

    Thank you Matthew--nice sleuthing.

    Sorry to hear it's been covered up already!

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  8. AnonymousMarch 17, 2015 at 11:48 AM

    Flower arrangements? High end vintage? Are you serious? First world white person problems. If your biggest concern is where to buy a $200 shirt or who is going to arrange your stupid flowers you must be doing well. Wish the food banks and missions got this much attention. Take your concers and your privilege and just STFU.

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  9. laura r.March 17, 2015 at 7:20 PM

    anon, i would want the flower shop there before a 7/11. call me an elitist snob. you miss the point of this blog.

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  10. AnonymousMarch 26, 2015 at 10:10 AM

    i believe this is going to become a Fika swedish coffee place.. there used to be a sign in the window (i live around the corner) but the sign has been gone (presumably for the construction)

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  11. AnonymousApril 25, 2015 at 3:29 PM

    When the Fika opens for business, one may go in and exclaim, "This coffee tastes like paint!"

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