Perry Eales (left) standing outside his workshop with Tom Striver
Before printers, cutters, and engravers, there were sign writers. This profession has slowly seen a fall since the rise of mechanical production, but there are still some keeping the traditional sign making kicking.
People like Perry Eales of Perry Signs London, whom assistant editor Benjamin Austin visited to talk about the craft.
Sign makers of today differ hugely from their peers of the past, putting away their paint brushes and mahl sticks for print heads and vinyl.
It’s obvious why, taking the human out of the process means quicker turnaround speeds and uniformity across everything produced.
Running costs are cheaper too, with machines not needing salaries or breaks. But what is gained in practicality, the industry loses in artistry, and sign writing is definitely an art form.
Thankfully, there are still those out there keeping the traditional practices alive, offering hand-painted sign writing services. People like Perry Eales.
He has been in the industry since he was 15, having now racked up more than 40 years experience.
From his humble workshop in Hertford, Perry Signs London is earning high-class contracts, from the Royals to the Rothschilds, all thanks to his
knowledge in his craft.
The novice
It seemed Perry was almost destined to put his hand to sign writing, having been entranced by a chance encounter in 1986 when he should have been in school.
Perry at work on the
Devonshire Pub sign in Soho
He said: “I was walking somewhere in London and I saw this very smart old boy all dressed up and he was painting a van. I just caught him in my eye, and I needed to get back to class and then thought b******s I’m going to watch this guy.
“I remember he was immaculate and he had a tie on and was sitting there painting and I was thinking how is he doing that, making letters out of his head.
“From there I just thought I’d love to do that and just got hooked.”
Perry then enlisted for a five-year apprenticeship in East London to learn the trade.
He continued: “I was on a scheme called Youth Training Scheme (YTS) in the 80s getting £26 a week – I didn’t care because I was learning. But I left there and started focusing on my own private work on weekends.
“It then got so busy for me I had to leave the job where I was at so left there and never looked back.”
Perry started by making a name for himself hand painting the advertising boards at an array of big-name football clubs.
“I got a bit lucky and got a contract with West Ham. That led on to Charlton then to Watford, then Arsenal, then Brentford, and before you know it, I was doing Wembley. I went from one man to six people quite quickly and was based in South Woodford then.
“I sold that business and then moved to Romford where I sold a shop to a good friend of mine who was in the print game but our working relationship wasn’t happening so he said ‘I’ll buy you out’.”
Things were going from strength to strength for Perry until he would have to give up his craft for three years after serving time in prison.
But when he was released, he started work on picking up the pieces of his life rebuilding his name in the sign writing business.
The maestro
He has since gone from being a resident in the Crown’s prison system to working for it, having been asked to do a gilding job at Clarence House in 2013, but Perry’s name dropping didn’t end there.
Perry’s workshop filled
with Fuller’s signs
He has worked for Ralph Lauren, the Rothschilds, gilding the family’s house in Belgravia Square, and has hand painted signs for many stores in Milan.
He even once gilded Elton John’s piano for a performance at the studio of BBC Radio 2.
He now gets a lot of work from pub chains asking him to put his artistry to many of their establishments.
He said: “My reputation allowed me to get back in the industry and we got pub contracts with the likes of Fuller’s and Young’s. Now we’re working with Shepherd Neame.
“These companies do spread the work around. I don’t do it all. I probably was for Fuller’s at one time because it felt like we had so much work from them, but COVID hit.
“We downsized to keep it going after that, and so we had to take on less work.”
Perry never advertises his work, relying on word of mouth and social media traction to help him continue to pick up new work; a testament to the man’s skill.
The scholar
His social media has also allowed him to tread another passion he found while locked up and that is teaching. While incarcerated, he was asked to run a number of workshops for the inmates and having enjoyed it, he was asked if he could come back twice a year to conduct the same sessions.
COVID put a stop to this practice but Perry now gets messages from people across the globe wanting to learn under his tutelage.
Perry’s sample of glasswork to show his many skills
He said: “I do weekend teaching and I have a guy here with me at the moment called Bunta who flew over from Japan. He’s with me for two years and then a really talented lady turned up after contacting me.
“Her name was Pauline and we were really shocked. She was an artist and her drawings were phenomenal but she wants to learn letter forms and glass work.
“I do charge for my workshops but these two want to come for a long period of time so instead they’ll work on what I call live jobs. They are so keen
and both are so good.
“Some ask why bother teaching? But I think it’s important; we’re not getting any younger. Compared to electricians and plumbers there aren’t many of us, we are like dinosaurs.
“It may sound a bit soppy but I want to pass on the skills because once we pass over, if no one teaches it, it’s going to die out.”
And it’s important it doesn’t. Modern techniques are more efficient but they lack something in comparison to their traditional counterpart. A sense of aura, authenticity, and character; Perry puts it best: “I think hand sign writing has more soul and feeling when you look at the finished pieces.
“In a pub when you stick vinyl on a door or window it’ll eventually fall off while hand sign writing, if anything, it just wears better. You can’t replicate it.”
The sign writer
And it seems the world agrees, indicated by Perry’s social media following.
He continued: “I think it’s coming back; I don’t think it’ll be a complete takeover.
“There will always be a market for it, but I feel it just needs more exposure. It doesn’t matter how vocal we are on Instagram; it needs more time out there.
“It needs people knowing it’s out there, and they’ll use other people, and it’ll get around through more word of mouth.”
And that is ultimately what Perry is doing. He is pushing back against the signage industrial revolution to show there is still a place for handwritten
products, and people are taking note.
So, if you find yourself walking in London outside a Fuller’s pub, just check its signs; and admire the craftsmanship as it was likely created by someone’s bare hands.
