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PUTNAM — Decades in discussions, the iconic Coca-Cola mural in the heart of downtown Putnam is getting a complete facelift.
And the restored mural will be celebrated at noon Oct. 15 — at the Great Pumpkin Festival — where The Coca-Cola Company will have its “Coke Hug Machine,” a modern twist on a vending machine that releases a Coca-Cola for payment of a hug. The company will also be bringing 500 vintage 8-oz. glass bottles that will be sold at 5 cents each. All proceeds will go to Daily Bread.
With effort and support from local businesspeople, plus support from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Waterford and The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Putnam’s “ghost sign” is being restored.
This means Putnam has now joined the nationwide initiative of refurbishing these nostalgic, iconic pieces of history. Although there isn’t a lot of information about when the original sign was painted, it was believed to be circa 1915.
“We are proud to serve the Putnam community for over 100 years, as Coca-Cola has been locally made in Connecticut since 1912,” said Rich Beaudoin, general manager of Coca- Cola Waterford. “As your local Coca-Cola bottler, Waterford Coca-Cola is honored to partner with our Putnam community and, with support from The Coca-Cola Company, bring this local piece of art and history back to life. We hope that it will refresh the neighborhood and inspire moments of optimism and happiness.”
Over the years, there have been multiple conversations and efforts put forth in restoring Putnam’s ghost sign and fortunately the timing was right in 2022. In networking with The Coca-Cola Company representative Doug Bedard, Bedard’s interest was piqued when Sheila Frost, owner of The Courthouse Bar & Grille, mentioned the faded Coca-Cola sign in their alley. The sign is on the brick wall of The Bradley Playhouse Building which is owned by Tom Borner.
Bedard told Frost that The Coca-Cola Company had earmarked funds to restore the ghost signs and was eager to get this project started. With the support of The Putnam Business Association President Gary Osbrey and the Putnam Area Foundation owner Tom Borner, estimates were sought and Jennifer Brytowski, owner of Jennerate, LLC, was awarded the project.
Brytowski has worked alongside Gagnon Sign of Danielson and its team of professional hand letterers to carefully research the history, logo and paint colors to ensure the integrity of the restoration project.
This project must be taken very seriously in order to be restored to its origins right down to the curve of the lettering, Brytowski said. Although this will be the 3rd time paint is overlaying the surface Brytowski and Gagnon plan to focus their efforts on recreating the original.
The refurbished ghost sign will brighten the backdrop of Putnam’s skyline and pave the way for more historical and influential mural projects as Putnam continues to revitalize the downtown and bring visitors in from near and far with their vintage feel, modern appeal – complimenting the antiques, arts, eats and uniques that Putnam has to offer, according to officials.
The first painted wall sign for The Coca-Cola Company was done in 1894 in Gainesville, Ga. The concept quickly took off and by 1910, 25 percent of the entire advertising budget for The Coca-Cola Company was devoted to these signs. Roughly 16,000 signs became prominent features in cities and towns all across America.
It has been said that one of the original owners of The Coca-Cola Company once challenged the film industry that a motion picture couldn’t be made without capturing one of these signs.
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