A 28th STREET MYSTERY

by Kevin Walsh

There’s a painted ad on West 28th off 7th that has always been a mystery to me — it’s fairly large, with flowing, florid script, and I do not understand a word. It could even be in a different language from English.

I’m quite familiar with it, since while working in the area at the World’s Biggest Store I would often sit in the long-gone Ranch 1 on the opposite corner and, when lifting my head above the trough, wonder what it said.

Anybody have any idea?

12/11/12

11 comments

Douglas Nascimento December 11, 2012 - 12:24 pm

I remember this ad… very hard to understand…

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Kathy DeMarco December 11, 2012 - 12:29 pm

Part of the top word looks like it might be “paper.” Now I’m going to have to go through my books about old NY when I should be studying! 🙂

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Dan December 11, 2012 - 1:45 pm

Looks like ‘ghost’ of 2 or 3 advertisements.

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Frank Jump December 11, 2012 - 5:02 pm

Back in Mar 2008 I posted this with the title “Amarusa? Paper – West 28th Street & b/w Seventh & Eighth Avenues” http://www.fadingad.com/fadingadblog/?p=1063

Paper is clearly legible in the upper right corner and the Amorusa is still not a certainty. I agree with Dan and it is probably a pentimento of ads. Walter Grutchfield would be the man to solve this mystery.

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George Davila December 13, 2012 - 7:46 pm

That area used to be heavy italian to me it seems like a cigar brand-Italian….Could be (Cigar) PAPER and that would be the brand underneath-just a guess.

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Larry December 13, 2012 - 11:02 pm

I agree..It seems to be one or two ads painted over each other

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mike in fla via BKLYN December 16, 2012 - 12:05 pm

I think it’s the same ad. White paint looks even. Looks like the bottom word could be Chiffon.
My guess is Coronet Paper some type of chiffon. For bathroom use?

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Asmo December 17, 2012 - 7:17 am

Upper: THE PAPER
middle: noruski or poruski (means “in russian language” – writen in latin, not kyrilic alphabets)
lower: ….on

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Stan December 17, 2012 - 8:01 pm

“porusski” should have double s, that wouldnt fit in space

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Mitch December 19, 2012 - 4:09 pm

The bottom word looks a lot like “Griffon” which you can see on your page:

https://forgotten-ny.com/2011/09/griffon-shears/

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Harvey January 8, 2013 - 7:14 pm

I believe that its an ad for LINCRUSTA, an English wallcovering manufacturer whose New York sales office was located in the Johnston Building, at 7th Avenue and 28th Street. It was more legible when I first saw it it the 1970s.

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