It is a sad fact that modern buildings rarely have the artistic flourishes and details of their forebears. Once buildings were often proudly decorated with eye catching touches, such as elaborate cornices and ornately carved door frames. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, nothing was quite as swish and fancy as a beautifully tiled mosaic entrance. It was the height of fashion and sophistication for shops and swish apartment buildings to display their name in this way, right under your very feet as you walked in.
These store front mosaics were often intricate and colourful. They were intended as an eye catching way for the owner to show they valued fine quality, and aesthetic craftsmanship. They were almost the urban equivalent of a peacock showing his feathers.
