James Castle & Sons Art Metal Workers/Gould’s Book Arcade – Newtown, NSW
Gould's Book Arcade, 2012
There’s not much that can be said about Gould’s Book Arcade that isn’t already well known. The labyrinth of old, dusty books has become a Sydney institution, and a perfect fit for the suburb of Newtown. In the building’s first life, however, it was James Castle & Sons Art Metal Workers, who apparently specialised in creating furniture and pulpits for churches and synagogues at the turn of the 20th century.
32 King Street, 1988. Image by Robert Parkinson.
Looking back nearly 25 years, the building seems to have hardly changed at all. Gould’s appears to have moved to its current location from Leichhardt in either 1988 or 1989, but prior to that it was located on the corner of George and Bathurst Streets in Sydney.
Gould's Book Arcade, George Street, circa 1983.
Chevy’s Ribs/Floorcovering Bargains – Ashfield, NSW
Chevy’s Ribs on Parramatta Road seems like the kind of place you might have filled up on greasy food at before heading off to drag up Underwood Road and through the abattoir at Homebush. Luckily, if you were too lazy, Chevy appears to have offered a delivery service. That was nice of him.
Also, does it mean bargains within the realm of floorcoverings, or bargains so mindblowing you’ll cover the floor with something?
UNCOVERED UPDATE: Hope you weren’t looking for floorcovering bargains, because you won’t find ’em here no more.
Thanks to the collapse of the floorcovering market (or a fortuitous gust of wind), the true extent of Chevy’s Ribs has been exposed for all to see.
That 70s font, that boastful tagline! I can’t help but wonder what that difference was, just as I can’t help but wonder if Chevy’s delivery service pre-dated Silvio’s Dial-a-Pizza (1978)? Only Chevy knows…and he’s not talking.
The Sandwich Shop/nothing – Enfield, NSW
This shop is straight up creepy. The ye-olde Englishe font, the extreme dilapidation, the offputting warning of ‘NO TOYS’ graffiti’d on the shopfront…
I’ve not seen this place open once in 20 years. Creepy. It has that weird grassy patch next to it. Creepy. That chilling dull red bin? CREEPY. This guy:
"SAMMIDGES, BURGERS, PIES AND DRIIIIIINKS"
Mildly unsettling.
Dry Cleaning/Denture Clinic – Belfield, NSW
Unless dry cleaning is one of the services offered by the denture clinic, this one’s just a reminder to new shop owners to check everywhere for signage. And no, the shop to the right wasn’t a dry cleaner.
John B. White Surveyors/For Lease (UNDER OFFER) – Hurstville, NSW
Up at number 67 Kimberley Road is another 1926 monolith. It’s for lease, but it’s UNDER OFFER. Good luck…
…because as we all know, it’s the buildings John B. White & Associates Surveyors reject that make John B. White & Associates Surveyors the best. Once again, Trove appears to save us from apparent boredom:
Image from Sydney Morning Herald 6 Sep 1933/Trove.
LEASED!
Past/Lives of the Near Future 