Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Ghost signs (27): let's dance


Take the Hammersmith & City line to its western terminus, and your train will pull up alongside this fabulous ghost sign. It's on the back wall of the Hammersmith Palais, formerly the Palais de Dance. Opened in 1919, the Palais gradually changed its emphasis from dancing to live music after the Second World War.

You can't dance there any more, as the Palais closed in 2007; dispossessed, the women on our sign have faded to a truly ghostly appearance. However, you can still ponder the now-hypothetical choice between dancing the evening away for five shillings, or enjoying the cheaper afternoon rate of half a crown.

5 comments:

Sam Roberts said...

This could easily be the widest ghostsigns in the country. It featured in this video montage created as part of the ghostsigns archive project.

RC said...

Great pics.

CarolineLD said...

Thank you! I can well believe that this is the widest in the country - a shame that its demolition is proposed.

Minnie said...

Sorry to hear of this ghostsign site demolition (and the closure of Hammersmith Palais). Glad to learn via Sam that they're being formally archived, although this site must help the cause considerably.

Sam Roberts said...

I'm sorry to report that the Midlands have just pulled the rug from under this sign's hopes of being the widest in the country...Check it out.