Revisiting some more photos from 1999: today I have a pair of pictures from ForgottenTour #1, on June 1st of that year. We met at Kent Avenue and Broadway and walked Broadway to Flushing Avenue, taking a look at some ancient painted ads, then grabbed a J train and made our way to Chauncey Street in Bushwick, where we saw some more. Frank Jump, of painted ad fame, was with us. At the time I had no idea I’d still be doing tours in 2016, but I just had #111 on Roosevelt Island in June 2016, and I’ll likely do them till I need a walker or a wheelchair.
On ForgottenTour #1 we did a quick detour to Kent Avenue between South 4th and 5th because I was aware of a pair of ancient painted signs on some equally old brick factory buildings, complete with tie rods that serve to hold up the walls. One was for Davico Hair & Feather; according to the Indispensable Walter Grutchfield, Davico occupied this building between the 1950s and 1980s. I’m not sure, but I’d imagine Davico was in the business of manufacturing decorative artificial items that looked like the real thing.
Adjacent to Davico was a manufacturer of the items listed on the painted ad.
Both of these buildings still stand, but the ads were done away with years ago when the owners cleaned them off.
9/26/16