Pills, Plasters, Potions and Pick-me-ups
Jane Parker
- Organisation:
- https://www.janeslondonwalks.com/
- Regions:
- Surrey, Kent, East Sussex, London, Essex, Hertfordshire
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Independent professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £120.00
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 8th January 2026
- Tagged:
- Ghostsigns | Advertising | Nostalgia- Bygone Days | Victorian
This talk examines a cross-section of bygone advertising that still clings to the walls above our modern streets. Today these are known as 'ghostsigns' because they are the ghosts of bygone brands or businesses.
Ghostsigns can take many forms, whether hand-painted directly onto brick walls, forged in metal, embedded in masonry or carved into wood. I have been photographing these old signs for decades and, having researched the products and companies depicted, found that they make for an interesting window into the history of the days before back-lit perspex and interactive screens.
For this talk we'll be mostly looking at large painted advertisements that promote remedies, potions, lotions and soaps, including some well-known names that you might recognise, such as Sunlight Soap, Iron Jelloids and Germolene.
We will 'travel' all over London from Hackney to Harrow, Wandsworth to the West End looking at a variety of evocative ads, some with marvellous colourful illustrations, others with lovely letterform, but all hinting at bygone times.
You'll also find out about some over-the-counter products that used to be available at Victorian and early 20th century chemists' shops, some of which might still be recognisable and available today in a different form, but some did not withstand the stringent tests of time due to their dangerous ingredients or spurious claims.
Locations of the signs will be clearly identified and accompanied by plenty of photos along with information about the products and other relevant information.
+50 annotated slides
Other talks about ghostsigns and bygone signage: Made in London / Holloway Road North (Archway to Nags Head) / Holloway Road South (Nags Head to Highbury Corner) / Kentish Town High Street
Other themes within this genre (available on request): the signmakers / entertainment (inc musical halls and theatres) / local traders and services / newspapers / specific talks about some of the the most common branded signs for Gillette, Hovis, Brymay matches, Sunlight soap, Westerns laundries, etc.
Views: 14 | Enquiries: 0About Jane Parker
I have been leading guided walks and hosting/presenting talks for almost ten years.
My walks and talks are about subjects that intrigue me personally, such as architecture, art deco, gas lamps, department stores, the changing face of our high streets, street markets, coal hole covers and other interesting ironmongery, cultural changes (such as French Soho), ghostsigns of many types, bygone businesses, artists, architects and sculptors, and specific people including Daniel Defoe, Agatha Christie, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Oscar Wilde and Daniel Defoe (all in relation to London).
I am fascinated by London's rich history and unusual details, constantly finding new and interesting subjects to investigate. As a child, I was often seeking out the hidden corners and quirky embellishments, keen to find out more about the things that I had discovered. This obviously continued into adult life(!). After starting work in the Covent Garden area in 1980 I became fascinated with the patchwork of history all around me. My thirst for more information about old pub signs, the river, the squares and gardens, boot scrapers, tiled façades and hand-painted signs, gradually evolved to become a website/blog called Jane's London and this in turn became Jane's London Walks (and talks).
Each of my presentations contains c.50 slides, mostly of my own photos shown at large format with clear annotation. I do not read from a pre-prepared script, nor do I read aloud bulleted text from the screen, preferring to talk to the audience as if I am simply sharing my observations and findings with a group of friends.
A list of pre-prepared presentations can be found here: https://www.janeslondonwalks.com/2023/10/overviews-of-talkspresentations.html
Other subjects can be easily pulled together from this list: https://www.janeslondonwalks.com/p/a-z-of-walks-and-talks.html Please note that these will likely incur extra costs to cover admin and design.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Jane Amelia Parker – designer, photographer, typographer and, with my recycling hat on, a Thames foreshore creative mudlarker. I am an accredited badge-wearing Islington Guide at Canonbury Tower and St Mary's, Upper Street. I also a volunteer as a tour guide for The Royal Parks, leading tours in St James's Park and Kensington Gardens.
Please also see my blog www.janeslondon.com which is where this all began. I also share my thoughts and images on Substack and Instagram as @janeslondonwalks and @janeslondon
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