Advertising on the side of a building in Cleveland in 1919


I enjoy looking at the old photos of billboards on the Duke University site ROAD (Resource of Outdoor Advertising), but even though I use the term "billboard", many of them predate the laws that were created to stop advertising from being plastered on just about every building, and instead could only be put on specified boards (hence the term billboard - because posted advertising was called a "bill").

Nowadays you will rarely see advertising painted directly on a building, maybe an old barn, but there was a time when it was so common that you could hardly ever get away from these annoying "pop-up ads" everywhere you looked. This is an example of one from 1919, which shows that the R.C. Maxwell Company of Trenton New Jersey, was receiving $100 from Pillsbury Flower to paint and lease the space for a year to advertise on the side of a building in Cleveland, Ohio, at 603 Superior Avenue.

Here's let's take a closer look at the writing. I've looked at a lot of old documents in my day and am pretty good at being able to read old cursive, which ain't easy. I'll give it a try. Here goes:


It says, "Painted for Pillsbury Flour, In consideration of One Hundred Dollars and Repainting Privileges Sign annually in advance, $100.00 to be paid by check R.C. Maxwell Company/ The exclusive privilege to enter upon wall of building. Kelly Building. Size approximately 20 X 20 ft of which I am the present agent. Said lease to continue for one year - from the 15th . 

Looks like they paid cash. on 3/19 and initialled by G.T.H. I really can't read the signature, only The Kelly________

Nowadays when I see an old building with a faded sign painted on it, I call it a "ghost sign" and it's interesting, but for a long time buildings were painted and then neglected, often with layers of stuff written over layers of stuff, looking just terrible, and with posters torn and falling off in pieces. Cities stepped in to stop this, and by the mid-20th Century it had been pretty much cleaned up in the United States.

Here's another shot of the building:
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