MACFARLANE & ROBINSON

stamped steel enamelled hollow-ware and sign plates etc..

A look through the catalogue (3)

We now come to the last part of the catalogue, which deals with flat enamelled plates.

These are "hearth plates".  You put them in front of the fire to stop the place burning down when sparks and cinders flew out. They are available in "any size, shape or colour", so presumably the catalogue shows a standard range that would be cheaper than the customised one.  But even these standard ranges come in "assorted colours", though red costs extra.  . The stock sizes of all of them are 48" x 12" and 48" x 15".  The catalogue then goes on to house number plates and street names plates; and standard black and white signs saying:  Apartments, Enquiries, Gentlemen, Ladies, Warehouse, Lavatory, Office, No Admittance, No Smoking, Private, and Workshop.

The catalogue also has the usual advertising signs, but nothing like the pictorial wonders of the Chromographic Company's efforts.

"Wall Plates for Lavatories, Shops, etc.", which come in six designs, made to any size or colour and doubtless provided a substitute for tiling which was cheaper to buy and cheaper to install.

The catalogue ends with this: