LARGE, PRATT'S 'FROM THE GOLDEN PUMP' ENAMEL SIGN

A petrol, or as it was more pleasingly termed at the time 'motor spirit', company that was formed in the late 19th century - Pratt's were amongst the founding father's of motoring in Britain. This particular sign is dated to 1926; a lovely early piece it captures the grandeur and romance of early motoring - the 'golden pump'. 

When motorcars started to make an appearance on the road workshops that would've originally dealt with carts or bicycles expanded to servicing the automobile and a key element of this was the selling of petrol. Unlike the modern petrol station, a garage was the petrol equivalent of a free-house pub - selling fuel from competing companies, this resulted in large, bold advertising like the enamel sign we have here. This sign is 4ft wide x 3ft high and with it's vibrant orange background it really makes a large impact. 

It was produced by the Patent Enamel Co. of Birmingham and although the month marker isn't legible it was definitely produced in 1926. For a large, early piece, the condition remains pretty good - there's nibbling around the edges and most notably two larger patches of enamel loss along the upper edge. There's also a patch of enamel loss through the 'H' of here and beside the 'R' of Pratt's. The areas of damage definitely don't impact the impact or legibility of the sign. It's been mounted on a basic wooden frame with mirror plates attached for ease of hanging, though it can also be hung using it's original mounting holes.