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Signs
Discovery of
the
Bull Durham wall advertisement
in Goliad, Texas
by Patsy Light |
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In
2012, Patsy and Scotty Light of San
Antonio and Goliad
purchased a frame building on the square across from the Courthouse
which adjoins property they are remodeling, with the intention of
requesting permission to demolish it. The Goliad Board of Architectural
Review partially denied their request, informing them that they
could remove rear additions of the building, but not the front.
Mr. Light was inspecting a broken sheet rock wall in this front
part and realized that partial anatomy of a bull was on a brick
wall behind two by fours that were scabbed on to a brick wall of
a 1880s building, now the Goliad County Library. After removing
the entire sheet rock wall, a 43 foot long image, including a 12
foot long bull, and lettering "Bull Durham Tobacco Has No Equal"
were revealed, in very good condition. Partially concealed by the
ceiling, are the letters "W.T. Blackwell" (the owner of the Bull
Durham Tobacco Co. in Durham, North Carolina). As evidenced by the
1880 and 1900 Sanborn's maps of Goliad,
which illustrate buildings on the square, the image was painted
between 1880 and 1900, when it was covered by the frame building.
That means that the ad had not been seen for over 100 years!
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Discovered
Bull Durham Ghost Sign
Photo courtesy Patsy Light, March 2013 |
| The Lights again
requested permission to demolish the building, stating that they would
restore the painting, and construct a protective shed roof over it.
It will become a focal point of a garden adjoining the buildings.
The board granted their request, and Mr. and Mrs. Light contracted
with a San Antonio
conservator, Pam Jary Rosser to do the work. Ms. Rosser is presently
employed as the conservator for the Alamo
in San Antonio, and
she has worked on prestigious projects in the Vatican and the San
Antonio Missions. For several week-ends, she worked with the assistance
of graduate students in Architectural Preservation from Texas A&M
University, applying a consolidate to bond the paint to the wall,
cleaning and touching up areas, and finally applying a sealant. When
the shed is completed, the remainder of the painting will receive
the identical treatment. |
Wall
Advertisement "Bull Durham Tobacco Has No Equal"
Photo courtesy Patsy Light, March 2013 |
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The Lights have
consulted with Duke University's John W. Hartman Center for Sales,
Advertising & Marketing History, and discovered the existence of
similar walls throughout the U.S. Unlike the Goliad Bull Durham
wall, many have a fence section covering the bull's genitals. Mr.
and Mrs. Lightwould like to know about additional Bull Durham walls
around Texas.
They are planning to include the wall in an addendum to the National
Register of Historic Places listing for the Goliad Courthouse Square
Historic District and will apply for a Texas Historical Commission
marker.
© Patsy Light
May 2013
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage or recent photos, please contact
us. |
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