“at the Sign of ye Leg”

“The Egyptians seemed to have made occasional use of inscriptons to draw attention to the whereabouts of a trade. Whether the Greek Signs were carved or painted or merely displayed the natural object, is uncertain from the references made by Aristotle. The more general practice of the Romans, as we may still see at Pompeii, was a panel in relief beside the shop front. The earliest forms were some simple object typical of the trade—a hand for the glover, a bunch of grapes for the vintner. In the Middle Ages coats-of-arms, crests and badges began to be used, for as particular trades were confined to particiular streets the trader felt the need for some more individual and distinctive Sign. Sometimes the shopkeeper’s own name would suggest a rebus, as Robert Legg Upholsterer ‘at the Sign of ye Leg’ in Holborn. . . .

Of Signs still to be seen in our streets a few examples persist—the Barber’s Pole and the Three Golden Balls (originally Three Blue Balls) of the pawnbrokers are those most frequently met with. Other devices occasionally seen are the Arm and Hammer of the gold-beater, the Kettle and the Hat which hang in front of ironmongers’ and hatters’ shops, the Fishing Rod and Dangling Trout over the fishing tackle shops, the Roll of Tobacco and the Highlander outside the tobacconists’.”

—Ambrose Heal, from London Tradesmen’s Cards of the XVIII Century; An Account of their Origin and Use, originally published in 1910.

Nathan Drake, Colourman

“Nathan Drake, Colourman. . . . At the White Hart in Long-Acre; London. Sells all sorts of fine Colours & Oils for Painting. Prym’d Cloths, pencils, fine Tools and Palletts; Water Colours prepared in the neatest manner. Also Makes all sorts of Crayons in the best approved methods. Likewise, Lines cleans and mends Pictures and has every Article that is used in Painting or Drawing. all sorts of Colours & Oils for House Painting at the Lowest Rates.”

—From London Tradesmen’s Cards of the XVIII Century; An Account of their Origin and Use by Ambrose Heal, originally published in 1910.

Iohn Wildblood at the Rainbow & 3 pidgons

—From London Tradesmen’s Cards of the XVIII Century; An Account of their Origin and Use by Ambrose Heal, first published in 1910. Some other silk dyers mentioned in the book (although their cards are not shown) are “Green Man”, “Rainbow and Anchor” and the “Rainbow and Dove”.

Mortram

“Mortram. Decorative Painter and Artist in Fireworks. Coats of Arms, Magnificent Temples, Triumphal Arches, Sea Fights, etc. Executed in Fire Works so as to Produce the most Beautiful Effect.”

—From London Tradesmen’s Cards of the XVIII Century; An Account of their Origin and Use by Ambrose Heal. First published in 1910, I found this as a Dover reprint from 1968.

the four Coffins

“Velvet Palls, Hangings for Rooms, large Silver’d Candlesticks & Sconces, Tapers & Wax Lights, Heraldry, Feathers & Velvets, fine Cloth Cloaks. . . . Rich Silk Scarves, Allamode & Sarsnelt Hat Bands, Italian Crape by the Piece or Hatband, black & white Savours, Cloth Black or Grey, Bays & Flannel. . . . Burying Crapes of all Sorts, Fine Quilting & Quilted Matrices the best Lac’d, Plain & Shammy Gloves, Kidd & Lamb. . . . All Sorts of Plates & Handles for Coffins in Brass, Lead or Tin, likewise Nails of all Sorts. Coffins & Shrouds of All Sizes ready made.”

—from an elaborate engraved trade card for undertaker Robert Green, “at the four Coffins”, dated 1752. From London Tradesmen’s Cards of the XVIII Century; An Account of their Origin and Use by Ambrose Heal. First published in 1910, I ran into this Dover reprint from 1968 in a colleague’s office, and she graciously loaned it to me. Thank you Lynne!

“black letter”

“With regard to the Gothic minuscule character, the even perpendicularity of the broad, straight strokes gives at a glance the character distinguished as “black letter,” because it is relatively much heavier than the Roman minuscule. You have only to compare the two to see that the “black letter” is blacker.

The Germans marked this form of lettering for their own, and persevered in its use long after the rest of the world, in pursuance of the fashion of classicism prevailing in the 16th century, had abandoned it for the Roman style of lettering.

The mediaeval German version of black letter was stronger than that of other countries, the French more fanciful, the Italian more refined, more perfect, but perhaps never so Gothic.

The old “black letter” varied . . . much in character. The rounder form is freer, easier to write, more cursive. The more regular and straight-backed letter went rather out of fashion for a while; but it was revived by the printers, who saw in it what they could best imitate.”

—Lewis F. Day, from Alphabets Old & New, 1910. Ditto Lynne!

big fat red and yellow leaves

“Most of you, used to big fat red and yellow leaves and brisk winds smelling of apples, wouldn’t recognize it. But here in the deep deep South in the dreamy mud of the riverbend at New Orleans, we do know it. It’s only a change in the light, a knifeblade-thin change from bright white to reddish.”

—Andrei Codrescu, the essay “Hint of Fall,” from New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writings from the City, 2006.

the green-gray back of a large alligator

“There is a drainage ditch behind the inexpensive student housing in back of LSU. It’s filled with beer cans. I was watching it in the midmorning heat the way a visitor to a museum watches a big trash sculpture, when the whole mess moved and the green-gray back of a large alligator slowly slid into view. Slowly, it then slid back out if it. Later I was told that the students know him well. They threaten to throw themselves to him if they don’t make their exams.”

—Andrei Codrescu, “Alligators,” from New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writings from the City, 2006.

King Death

“King Death was a rare old fellow!
He sate where no sun could shine;
And he lifted his hand so yellow,
And poured out his coal-black wine
Hurrah! for the coal-black wine!”

—Thomas Morton, from The School of Reform; or, How to Rule a Husband, A Comedy in Five Acts, 1805. As quoted in Artist of Wonderland: the Life, Political Cartoons, and Illustrations of Tenniel by Frank Morris, 2005.

their pleasantest arrangement

“Colors may mutually relate like musical concords for their pleasantest arrangement.”

—Aristotle, from De Coloribus, as quoted by Tom Douglas Jones in The Art of Light and Color, 1972.