Clamps Swing Pricing Co
Alameda, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

Check out the old Clamp-Swing Pricing Co. ghost sign on this brick building in Alameda. The painted lettering recalls a business that once supplied grocery stores with those little holders used to display prices on the shelves. 07-07

Founded in 1924 by David Garfinkle, the company took its name from his invention: a price-card holder that clamped to a shelf and swung out of the way when shoppers reached for merchandise. A handy little idea that grew into a family business spanning three generations.

UPDATE: Clamp-Swing moved to Oakland in 2001 after outgrowing its Alameda home. The old Blanding Avenue building was later converted into residential live/work spaces. 09-26

Sherman Williams Paints
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

A familiar paint can pours over the globe on this old Sherwin-Williams Paints ghost sign in Oakland. The faded SWP image still gets the message across, recalling the days when a brick wall doubled as an advertisement for a fresh coat of paint. 07-07

The “Cover the Earth” emblem made quite an impression around the East Bay. Nearby Emeryville once had a huge animated neon version above the company’s plant, giving travelers something a little brighter to look at than this quiet painted reminder.

UPDATE: The Emeryville neon landmark was dismantled in July 1976. The current condition of this Oakland ghost sign has not been confirmed. 09-26

Leo's Normal Pharmacy
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

Some old lettering in Oakland recalls Leo's Normal Pharmacy, a downtown drugstore with a name that might bring a second look. Suppose “normal” is better than finding an abnormal pharmacy when it's time to fill a prescription. Either way, the lettering left a little reminder of the old shop for passersby to spot. 07-07

Leo Baum purchased the business in 1936, and Leo's became known for its day-and-night service. When other stores had locked up for the evening, customers could still stop here for medicine or a few necessities. A handy place to know about when a headache didn't bother checking the clock.

The shelves held more than prescriptions and aspirin. Leo's also sold cosmetics, photographic equipment, and liquor, giving customers quite a few reasons to wander in. Pick up some medicine, look over the camera goods, and perhaps remember something else needed back at home.

UPDATE: Leo's later operated at 1776 Broadway before closing in the early 2000s. The lettering in this photo recalls an earlier chapter of downtown Oakland, when the neighborhood drugstore offered a little of everything, day or night. 09-26

Plaza Building
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

Faded lettering on the brick gives away the old Plaza Building name in downtown Oakland. The painted letters have weathered over the years, leaving another bit of the old city for passersby to spot. 07-07

Built in 1913–1914 for local clothier Charles Heeseman, the six-story building was shaped to fit its angled corner lot. Its walls also carried advertisements, including a large sign for Par-T-Pak Beverages. Office space up front, a soda pitch around the back.

UPDATE: Now known as the De Domenico Building, the former Plaza Building has been preserved and reused for nonprofit and commercial offices, including the East Bay Community Foundation. Its faded wall signs remain part of the downtown scene. 09-26

Toggery
Ukiah, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

There's quite a bit to read on this old brick wall in Ukiah, where The Toggery shares space with overlapping advertisements from years past. Among the faded lettering is a pitch for Owl Cigars at five cents apiece. Now there's a price that dates the paint. 07-07

The Toggery sold men's clothing, shoes, and hats along State Street. Around back, the layers of painted advertising have weathered together, with old names and lettering showing through one another. Even an owl perched on a cigar gets in on the act.

UPDATE: The Toggery closed in 1940, and MacNab's Men's Wear later occupied the storefront before moving in 1964. The building survives, along with the faded advertisements on its rear brick wall. 09-26

Ex Lax
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

Faded lettering in these Oakland window panels advertises Ex-Lax, an old drugstore staple that came with a promise to “keep regular.” The lettering has seen better days, but there's still enough left to get the message across. 07-07

Window advertisements like these once shared storefront space with pitches for prescriptions, soda fountains, and other everyday necessities. A little reminder of when the neighborhood drugstore's windows did some of the selling before customers even stepped inside.

UPDATE: Similar Ex-Lax window advertising appears in historical photographs of West Oakland's 7th Street. The exact location of the panels in this photo has not been confirmed. 09-26

Zubelda Cigarettes
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Anyone remember Zubelda Cigarettes? This old wall advertisement in San Francisco still makes its pitch for “The Double Package,” long after the brand disappeared from store shelves. The name may draw a blank these days, but the painted sales job hangs on. 09-08

Introduced by P. Lorillard in 1912, Zubelda was a Turkish-blend cigarette sold with miniature silk rug inserts tucked into the packages. A little something extra to go along with a brand name that now turns up more often on an old brick wall than anywhere else.

UPDATE: The ghost sign survives near Larkin and Geary streets, sharing the wall with faded lettering for the Hotel Toronto. Layers of old advertising keep a bit of early San Francisco in view. 09-26

Philipp's Flowers
San Rafael, CA
Photo courtesy Mercy Calman

Flowers and a bottle of Coke share the wall on this old Philipp's Flowers ghost sign in San Rafael. Perhaps not the first pairing that comes to mind, but both found room in this painted advertisement. Another faded roadside find along Fourth Street. 07-07

The florist operated here through the 1960s and 1970s, leaving its name behind on the brickwork. The Coca-Cola bottle adds a familiar touch, recalling the days when painted product advertisements shared wall space with the neighborhood shop's own lettering.

UPDATE: The former florist building has been reused by other retailers. The ghost sign remains exposed, keeping the Philipp's name and its painted Coke bottle in view. 09-26