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Antique repro

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Antique repro

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

A few of you have seen this already and have been nudged by a couple to post a foto or 2 here. It's always good to share even when you have a shy side as I do.

This is an antique sign from London England at the Black Lion near Kennsington and the second is my imitation. There are several differences and principally the "IES" missing. I had a few extra 6' blanks at work and no 8 footers. The other is the colours. The ones I did are likely how it looked new in about 1890 to 1895. You can see another project from the same firm in Arnold Schwartzman's "Designage" book. It was just one of those things I had to do and made the time
Attachments
2e-adjusted brandy.jpg
2e-adjusted brandy.jpg (92.74 KiB) Viewed 10404 times
2e-black lion front02.jpg
2e-black lion front02.jpg (112.61 KiB) Viewed 10410 times
Larry White
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

Re: Antique repro

Post by Larry White »

Nice carving...very nice carving!

Lotta call for a man with your skills!

-WB
David Slade
Posts: 104
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 7:01 am
Location: Osaka, Japan
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Re: Antique repro

Post by David Slade »

Both are equally beautiful! I agree with Mr. White.

Is it all carved from wood? What kind? By hand??

Begging your indulgence,
David Slade
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Antique repro

Post by DAVE SMITH »

A beautiful perfect copy of an English Sign.
Yours looks better actually!. I'm starting to think you did both of them.
I reckon you were working here in your last life as a sign carver round London.
Top work welldone mate.....
Dave
Catharine C. Kennedy
Posts: 99
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2004 5:28 am
Location: Chatham Center, NY

Re: Antique repro

Post by Catharine C. Kennedy »

VERY sweet! You do awfully nice work! :wink:
Catharine C. Kennedy
Chatham Center, NY
Patrick Mackle
Posts: 478
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:21 am
Location: Monrovia, Ca.
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Re: Antique repro

Post by Patrick Mackle »

A very fine bit of work Mr. Bernhardt.
What did you use for the golden background and the copper color around the parchment? Was it actually gold leaf and copper leaf?
If leaf, what brand of gold size did you choose? Were any clear coatings applied?
PS: your photos are always great, and we all appreciate your contributions here.
Thank you in advance.
Pat
Jerry Berg
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: pacific northwest

Re: Antique repro

Post by Jerry Berg »

Beautiful work Doug. It's allways nice to see the work of a master. Thanks for your posts.
Interested in Pat's questions answered as well. Also what kind of wood.
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: Antique repro

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Davey........I thought you knew how old I was so that guy must have been a competitor! My sign is Basswood or Linden 1 1/2 thick planks about 5"-6" edge glued. The backgnd is all punched as per the original with 23 K leaf. The outer edge of that is the natural wood finish (with stain to colour) showing through. The rest is One-Shot really really dark green with some flattening past to kill off the sheen.That was only semi-successful as never got quite the level of gloss I wanted. Will mess about with that again in the near future. Yes, it is all hand carved with the exception of using a router and various bits to bring the different levels out. I should add that there is an applied moulding rather than the clear glass front seen on the originals. When going through Mr.Schwartzman's book you can see one that says "Whiskies" which is on the same building as Brandies(I'm going to take that one on a bit later). Elsewhere listed in his Books glass section are the "90" and the front from Salisbury which is in St.Martins Lane near the British Museum. They are the only 2 fronts I have seen by this craftsman but you can see many many modern CNC versions which are quite poor on every level. The Salisbury is in excellent condition being behind glass whereas the Black Lion is not. Am sure over the years all the damage from the blitz etc has taken it's toll (broken the glass)and the present owners don't seem to be as disposed to restoration as some. When there (Black Lion) you can see many treats that are hidden away behind electric boxes and the like and I like the craftsmanship better at the Black Lion site. They have just SOOOO much from that era that it's often regarded as nothing special. A real treat is the glass piece at the Old Blue Last. It's in a somewhat run down area but it's about 5'or6'x12' of magnificent glass decoration from the period before 1890....and very valuable. I think it was this spot that built a wall in front of it during WW2 for safety and forgot all about it until relatively recently. During the 1890's there was a huge boom in pub refurbishing and it all went bust about 10years later.That's why there are so many fine example from that time although that is something of a miracle as well. During the 60's Watney's brewery which owned the Princess Louise wanted to demolish it to make way for their offices. The glass in there is the single most amazing site and is signed......in itself unusual. The only thing left of Watney's right now is a bad taste in everyone's mouth and the occasional bit of brewphemera. I'll have to dig up some more photos in the near future and sorry about the length of this post. It's the beginning of a long weekend here and while waiting for a frothy one (or 3) in the freezer found myself with more time than usual after work. Also I just like all yuz guys so much......and if you believe that I have some ocean front property in Nevada for sale!!
Tony Segale
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:20 am

Re: Antique repro

Post by Tony Segale »

nice carvin, old timer, see-ings your bout the only friend we got in this town.

maybe someday you can demonstrate your skills out in the town of Machine.



someday
and he took that golden hair and made a sweater for baby bear.
http://www.tonysegale.com
http://www.tonysegale.wordpress.com
Roderick Treece
Posts: 1086
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:04 pm
Location: San deigo Calif
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Re: Antique repro

Post by Roderick Treece »

Doug,
Always a pleasure to see what your up to. Next time try using Amorphous silicon dioxide to flatting your paint. It's what ever paint company uses to make their flattening pastes and flat paints. I called DeGussa and asked about samples. I ended up getting a life time supply. Acematt ok520 mating agent.

Ps I have a house buy the beach with a cute caravan just waiting for you. The waters 72o right now!

Roderick
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: Antique repro

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Found a few more fotos. The ones from the Blue Last photographed done by Dave McDonald quite a few years ago and am sure he won't mind me posting them here. I've tried a couple of times since to get in there with all my photo gear but has been closed each time.
2e-blue last2.jpg
2e-blue last2.jpg (142.79 KiB) Viewed 10261 times
2e-blue last1.jpg
2e-blue last1.jpg (83.78 KiB) Viewed 10259 times
These are the princess louise
2e-PrincessLouise Glass Detail1.jpg
2e-PrincessLouise Glass Detail1.jpg (65.24 KiB) Viewed 10250 times
2e louise1.jpg
2e louise1.jpg (106.08 KiB) Viewed 10252 times
2e-PrincessLouise Glass Detail2.jpg
2e-PrincessLouise Glass Detail2.jpg (81.13 KiB) Viewed 10251 times
and lastly the whiskies panel at the black lion.
2-black lion front04.jpg
2-black lion front04.jpg (103.55 KiB) Viewed 10249 times
Tony Segale
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:20 am

Re: Antique repro

Post by Tony Segale »

crikey!

I wanna go and try everything advertised in glass and gilded carving!
send me the address...

aho
and he took that golden hair and made a sweater for baby bear.
http://www.tonysegale.com
http://www.tonysegale.wordpress.com
vance galliher
Posts: 321
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: springfield, or.
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Re: Antique repro

Post by vance galliher »

....man, that WISKIES is stunning ! the lighting is great. looks like from above and outside. it almost feel like the glass is curved....but then again , it's friday night
vance
dimensional and glass art signs
http://www.vancegallihersigns.com
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
Contact:

Re: Antique repro

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Okay fella's....you'll have to see this stuff in person. That Whiskies sign is just like in Arnie Schwartzmans book.........carved wood missing the protective glass the Salisbury(same book) has and the whiskies sign would have had......had there been no WW2. I'm guessing a typewriter/keyboard and I aren't able to get a coherent thought down OR the work is just a little esoteric (sorry for using the word this way)and skips over the top . I have a pile of in progress pics I'll post next week. How it was done will be easy to understand then......it made more sense to me after doing one as well.
erik winkler
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Re: Antique repro

Post by erik winkler »

Your work looks great!

Like the pictures also.
It took me 14 hours a day for 4 days just to make one 'S'!!!
I wonder how must their work was appreciated at those times?
Did they got pid like a normal bricklayer or were they paid as artists?

Erik
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: Antique repro

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Hi Eric. Me thinks these guys were paid a craftsmans wages which would have been dictated by their guilds. Hard to know from here what that might have been in relative terms. One could start snooping through old books and trades publications if you have the heart to try it. The repro I did was spread over a couple of months and whenever I had time. It goes without saying that I learned a ton of stuff while doing it and would do it much differently if given the chance.........which as mentioned I might try. If I was to settle down to doing it in one go it would have taken about 2 weeks from beginning to end. There's a few days of just watching paint dry....an exciting thing to watch!!
Mark Fair
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:33 pm
Location: Montgomery,Al
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Re: Antique repro

Post by Mark Fair »

Absolutely beautiful work!!
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