Friday 1 July 2011

Ghost signs (56): gasoil


This sign in Lamballe, Brittany has clearly been overpainted at least once. Clearly the owner had had enough of it! However, suggestive bits of text remain, not least all but the first letter of gasoil (diesel). The large 2 in the top left corner, and the bits of text legible underneath, suggest that directions were being given to a garage on the second left or right towards St Brieuc.



2 comments:

Sebastien Ardouin said...

I think the first line of this sign for Total reads "2 km vers St-Brieuc". Only the top of the second "T" and the "A" of Total are still visible, but this was undoubtedly a sign promoting the brand of petrol launched in 1954 by the Compagnie française des pétroles. This particular design (the name Total in red on a diagonal white stripe at a 30 degree angle -roughly- surrounded by two blue triangles) was adopted between 1954 and 1963. In 1963 the incline of the stripe was reduced (and from 1970 the name appeared horizontally). Yet it is possible signs continued to be painted using the original design for a while.
Have a great time in Britanny!

CarolineLD said...

Thank you, Sebastien! Especially for identifying it as Total - I couldn't place it, and I've just got back from Brittany leaving my French ghost signs book behind. The 2km makes perfect sense, I did think it looked like vers but my grammar then went to pot...