Address: 1 Ordnance Lane, York, YO10 4DY
Description
A striking large rectangular ghost sign displays ‘Wills Capstan Cigarettes’ against a dynamic background of green, yellow, and orange hues, framed by a white border.
The sign is obviously quite faded, and in its original form it may have included baby blues, and reds, yellows.
The letters on ‘Capstan’ and ‘Gold Flake’ originally featured enhancements such as outlines or drop shadows, likely in black.
History
Bielby’s was a newsagent’s, tobacconist’s, and sweet shop that opened in the 1940s. To promote their shop, they had a large hand-painted sign on the building’s south-facing wall advertising “Capstan Cigarettes.”
Although this sign has been painted over many times, remnants of the text can still be discerned.
This is likely how one iteration of the sign appeared (Image from SciencePhoto)
1980s
Originally, the top of the sign featured the name “WD & H.O Wills,” the manufacturer of Capstans Cigarettes.
It is believed the sign was later updated to include the phrase “Have a,” which was part of a popular advertising slogan for Capstans (“Have a Capstan Cigarette”), as seen in the image below.
Later, this was painted yet again to say “Navy Cut”, referring to the cut of tobacco used in the cigarettes.
In the middle of the ghost sign, there was an image of a pack of cigarettes, though this has almost completely faded away.
The bottom of the sign once read “Gold Flake,” referring to a specific type of cigarette from the same brand.
Bielby’s newsagents closed in the 2010s and has since been transformed into a local café, but the ghost sign still endures, offering a glimpse into the building’s history and the advertising styles of a bygone era.
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