Coca-Cola

Porter Hotel Building, 1898

This Coca-Cola ad is actually a series of three signs. The center panel on the back of the old Porter Hotel reads "Coca-Cola" while the left panel reads, "Delicious and Refreshing." The right side "Relieves Fatigue" panel is very hard to see from the street. The "Delicious and Refreshing" campaign dates to about 1904.

This is best seen from SW Ash between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

2007:

Unknown

Haseltine Building, 1893

This was probably quite a sign back in its day. The paint is now so faded that from the street you can barely tell there was an ad there at all. Admittedly not the greatest photos or angles, the 1994 photos show quite a bit more detail than is visible now. There probably won't be anything left 14 years from now.

The Haseltine Building was constructed as a mercantile building by James E. Haseltine, a wholesaler of various goods including hardware, hardwoods and wagon-making materials. You can see what remains of the sign from the corner of SW 3rd and Ash, or for a more complete view, go to the top of the Embassy Suites parking structure at SW 3rd and Pine.

1994:



2008:

Wholesale Stationer

Scottish Bank Building, 1876

Very little can be made out on the ad on the south side of this building. The whole thing has faded quite a bit in 14 years but that's actually made it a bit easier to read. I can barely make out "WHOLESALE STATIONER" across the middle, and "PAPER DEALER" below that in the latest photos. The orange ball is a complete mystery; the first three letters look like "Sea..." but that's about it.

See for yourself on SW Pine between Naito Parkway and 1st Avenue.

1994:

2008:

Piano Factory/Machinery/Unknown

Portland Machinery Building (now 208 Building), 1895
Seuffert Building (now Lombard Building), 1889

Perpendicular to the wall in my previous post is this pair of walls on adjacent buildings; the Portland Machinery Building in the background and the Seuffert Building in mid-field. The Piano Factory sign is painted atop the Machinery Co. sign, and both are quite visible still, but the closer sign, on the Seuffert Building, is unreadable now.

These two signs are slightly visible from SW 1st and Oak, but are almost impossible to see from the street. I was able to get a photo from the second floor of a building across Oak Street.

2008:

Delschneider Building

Delschneider Building, 1859

The west wall of the Delschneider Building is rich in advertising history. Very little is readable any more but bits of the many layers are there to be appreciated. "Ghirardelli's Chocolate" can be made out on the left side, as well as "Keene Cigars." Fragments of many old signs can be seen on the right side.

The Delschneider Building (the three story building at the far right) is the second oldest building in the Skidmore/Old Town area. It was first used as a factory by the Novelty Iron and Brass Works. You can see this great wall from the corner of SW 1st and Oak.

2007:

The Portland Outdoor Store

Portland Outdoor Store, 1890

The signs on the east side of the Portland Outdoor Store were recently covered by vinyl posters; the vinyl lasted a couple of months while the signs, up and weathering for decades, still soldier on, although darkened/damaged by the glue used to stick up the poster.

I hope these signs are preserved and protected from further damage. The whole package - worn signs, worn building - is a Portland icon at the corner of SW 3rd and Oak.

2008 (after the vinyl blew down):

2008 (vinyl being installed):

2008:

Update: Machine Work and Painting/Unknown

The Machine Work and Painting and unknown signs I documented are no longer visible. Construction of the 937 Condominium has covered both these signs.

2008:

Unknown

Bishop's House, 1879

This sign was painted over years ago, only a very faint trace remains on the west face. If not for the ending "S" this may not be visible at all. I haven't been able to come up with any historic photos showing what it may have said. See for yourself at SW 4th and Stark.

If anybody has an old photo of Bishop's House with an intact sign, let me know.

2008:

Furnished Rooms/Coca-Cola

Imperial Garage, 1923

This is another "reverse image" ghost sign. Years of direct contact with the painted sign transferred a reverse ghost image to the adjacent building. When the original building, with sign, was demolished in 1996, the reverse ghost remained. A parking structure was built on the site, at the corner of SW 3rd and Pine, in 1997, covering this sign.

1996:

2008:

Unknown

Oregon Trail Building, 1909

This unreadable ghost sign was uncovered in 2007 when the building at 525 SW Stark was demolished. That building apparently was the site of the Pago Pago, "America's Most Beautiful Tropical Room" when tiki bars were in fashion in the 1950s. It will become a loading area, gym and meeting space for the adjacent building at SW 6th and Oak being redeveloped into a Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

The sign is still visible from SW 5th and Stark but not for much longer as the new building's walls are already rising.

2008:

Good 5c

Oregon Pacific Building, 1898

Vice President Thomas Marshall in 1917 supposedly quipped, "What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar." I don't know if there ever was a Good brand cigar that was advertised for five cents, but this could be it. The word "Good" and "5c" are visible on this sign but the rest is not readable or visible.

You can see this sign from the same garage vantage point as my previous post. It's on the south-facing wall of the Greek Cusina restaurant at SW 4th and Washington.

1996:

2008:

2008 (from the Yeon Building):

Unknown

Oregon Pacific Building, 1898

There was very little left of this sign when I took the first photo in 1996. What still remains is painted over and faded almost to non-existence.

On the south face of the Greek Cusina Restaurant building at SW 4th and Washington, you can see this better from a few floors up in the parking garage at 4th and Alder.


1996:

2008:

Ideal Theatre

Ideal Theatre, 1912

Before heading back downtown, here's one more recently discovered gem in Northwest Portland. The Ideal Theatre was a neighborhood theater from its opening in 1912 until the late 1950s. It was a warehouse for 30 years before being remodeled into a photography and design studio in 1986.

I'd guess this sign dates from its earliest days. Check it out at NW 24th and Thurman.

2008:

Benson Garage

1918

Another newly discovered ghost sign, this one at NW 9th and Burnside. I've driven by this one hundreds of times; as usual, being on foot helped me spot it. "Benson Garage" "Storage" "Washing" can still be made out. The building is still a parking garage but goes unnamed now.

The Firestone shop may be in the Portland Development Commission's urban renewal sights so the Benson Garage sign may disapper in the coming years.

2008:

B.T.

1917

Before continuing the coverage of the downtown area, I'm going to head back to the Pearl District to add a couple of newly found signs. It's always a nice surprise to discover a new sign on a building you've seen hundreds of times before.

I can only make out a small portion of this from street level. "B.T Co..." is all I can see. It's on the west-facing side of Powell's Technical Bookstore and you can see it from NW 9th and Couch.

2008:

Loyalty Bldg.

Loyalty Building, 1928

The Loyalty Building sign completes a set of four similar signs, each displaying its own building name, all in the same area, and all the buildings are of roughly the same era. Also, all four signs are being currently maintained, so are not officially "ghost signs."

The Loyalty Building is at SW 3rd and Alder. The sign can be seen from the street at 5th and Alder, or, as I've done here, the top floors of the the parking garage south across Alder.

2008:

Yeon Bldg.

Yeon Building, 1911

Continuing the string of "new old" signs in the downtown core (following the Pioneer Park and American Bank buildings) is the Yeon Building on the corner of SW 5th and Alder. This sign is definitely not old but makes a nice, understated addition to the skyline. See this from the corner of SW 5th and Stark.

2008:

American Bank Building

American Bank Building, 1912

Hard to say how long this sign has been here; it's definitely not a ghost sign but it has been nicely maintained and looks great. In the heart of downtown at SW Broadway and Morrison, you can see it from a block away at SW Alder.

2008:

Pioneer Park Bldg.

Pioneer Park Building, 1913

The Pioneer Park Building sign is not old but it's in the vintage style, classic and classy. See it on the north-facing side of the building at SW Broadway and Morrison.

2007:

Unknown

Strowbridge Building, 1878

So little is left of this sign that you'd almost never know one ever existed, but a few extremely faded letters remain. Originally built to house the Oregon Furniture Manufacturing Company, it was also used as a furniture and household retail warehouse, was part of the Yamhill Sanitary Market and housed a bar, grocery store, and tool store over the years. Partially condemned, it was purchased in 1978 and renovated.

The building is at SW 1st and Yamhill; the remains of the sign can be seen from SW 1st and Morrison.

2007: