Ending 31st Aug, 2025 18:00
The W. H. Smith Archive | Timed Online
1
A large brown painted lead store or shop sign for W. H. Smith & Son
A large brown painted lead store or shop sign for W. H. Smith & Son, circa 1900, with a rope-twist border, later mounted on wooden supports, 310cm wide, 37cm high, with a fragment of rope-twist border
Provenance:The W. H. Smith Archive
Footnote:W. H. Smith’s display lettering was designed in 1903 by Eric Gill. The font was used for the first time on the fascia of Smith’s shop on the rue de Rivoli in Paris, reputedly painted by hand by Gill himself. It continued to be used by the firm into the late 1950s and the font services today under the moniker of ‘Gill Fascia’.
Sold for £135
A large brown painted lead store or shop sign for W. H. Smith & Son, circa 1900, with a rope-twist border, later mounted on wooden supports, 310cm wide, 37cm high, with a fragment of rope-twist border
The W. H. Smith Archive
W. H. Smith’s display lettering was designed in 1903 by Eric Gill. The font was used for the first time on the fascia of Smith’s shop on the rue de Rivoli in Paris, reputedly painted by hand by Gill himself. It continued to be used by the firm into the late 1950s and the font services today under the moniker of ‘Gill Fascia’.
Paint loss to each of the letters, overall less than 5%, ropetwist border missing to L & R edges, ground brown paint scuffed and disscoloured, screwed onto a wooded frame, several screws replaced and three missing, overall good
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Auction: The W. H. Smith Archive | Timed Online, ending 31st Aug, 2025
