Address: 102 Walmgate, York, YO1 9TL
Description
A slender metal sign adorns the entrance of an antiquated store. Block gold block letters spell out ‘Falconer Chemist & Druggist’ against a black backdrop.
History
Before becoming Falconer’s, the building housed Myers James Chemist in the early 1900s.
By the 1930s, it had become Falconer’s Chemist, where they sold products like ‘Croskells Yellow Mixture,’ touted as a remedy for everything from bad coughs to ingrown toenails.
An old advertisement for Croskell’s Yellow Mixture
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the building was taken over from Falconer’s and became Mrs M. Dale’s Drug Store. After that, the property was boarded up and left derelict.
1981 Source: York Press
In 1978, when the Falconer’s sign was uncovered, the council had already destroyed the sanitaryware and removed the floorboards to prevent squatting. The building was then leased to a family, who restored the sign.
Following its restoration, the building was transformed into a bookshop called ‘Yesterday’s Paper,’ as seen in a photo from 1981. This shop was the first in York to sell back-issue comics among other items.
1980s Newspaper questioning the providence of the Falconer ghost sign
The photo above highlights the fascination with Falconer’s ghost sign even decades ago. The caption beneath the image of Falconer’s old sign asks, “Can you put a date to the original sign?” We now know it dates back to the 1930s.
Today, the building is a private residence.
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