Tue 11 July 2006 - I’ll put a girdle round about the Earth
Tony’s posted some terrific pictures of buildings with old signs recently.
Here’s one I really like, in Collins Street, near where I work. Look above the rather tackily-named House Of Cashmere, and you’ll see Newspaper House, and a terrific mosaic.
The saying is from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was popular in the days when international submarine cables were being developed to bring news and events near-instantly to the far-flung reaches of the world. Perhaps it reflects the original purpose of the building, built in 1933.
There are some quite good close-up photos of this on the rather marvellous Melbourne City Art Deco Buildings page. Brian McMorrow’s mosaics gallery also has some good shots: Left / Centre / Right. Note the aeroplanes in the centre image, as well as printing presses and a copy of The Herald. (I think at the time, The Age was headquartered next door, at 233 Collins St.)
Oh, and apparently the neon sign on the top of the building is perhaps the oldest surviving neon sign in the city (though it no longer works).