This is an old painted advertising "poster" for Advo Coffee found in the basement of the old store. It is pretty much the only "history detective" kind of thing found in the building after I purchased it. It was nailed face up to the ceiling 2x12s along with other cardboard which "saved it" from being thrown out. However, it was almost lost to history when one evening I decided to rip down all the old cardboard. As I ripped away, the years of coal dust, which had been sitting on top of the cardboard, clouded the air in the basement. However, after the dust started to settle I notice a deep red under some of the remaining dust. Getting down from my ladder I brushed away more dust to discover writing. That lead to a mad dash out into the night and into the dumpster. I rescued all the pieces I could find. However, there was one piece I just couldn't find anywhere and given its' size of about an 1'x1' I gave up. This was back in Nov/Dec of 2006.
Here is a close up of the missing R after it was miraculously found in the basement in November 2007. I moved the R out of place so it would be easier to see. I was really shocked to find the remaining letter because I had looked for it many times and had given up hope. Over that past couple of year I have cleaned the basement several times. My sister helped out one day last fall by vacuuming up the entire basement with a shot vac after we had torn down a plaster wall upstairs. Some of the plaster made its way through the wall into the basement so a clean up was really needed. Just one month after the last basement clean up I was kneeling on the floor and smoothing out fresh cement I had just fixed around the basement floor drain. I reached back with the trowel, to set in down out of my way, and out of the corner of my eye I saw something red. On the floor, right next to me was the piece of wood with the gold R on it. Where had come from I had no idea but I was very glad to have it find me on many levels.
The next step is a visit to the Ford Conservation Center in Hanscom Park neighborhood to talk with the conservators their and find out when I can bring it in to be put back together and properly restored.
2 comments:
What a great little adventure there! I'm glad it found you too.
Rather ironic don't you think, that it was the R that was missing.
Do you feel now that you've found yourself as well?
What a neat blog!
I just found it while searching the internet with keywords "preservation" & "Omaha."
Perhaps you can help me... I'm trying to find those who were involved in the "40th Street Study Group" and organized a workshop earlier this year around preservation?
I'm coming to a cities conference next week (from Mpls) and would love to talk to the people who were involved in this effort so we can model something like it in Minneapolis!
Thanks so much,
Connie
minneapolisgirlatgmaildotcom
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