This elegant little plaque is the sign of a printer, Abraham Valpy, publisher of classical works such as Stephanus's Greek Thesaurus and the monumental Delphin Classics (all 142 volumes), and founder of the Classical Review. He had his premises in Red Lion Court from 1822 to 1837.As you might expect from this output, Valpy was a cut above the usual inky-handed artisan, having studied at Oxford where he was a fellow of Pembroke College. So his sign is rather superior too - an antic lamp being filled with oil from a nice little jar and the motto Alere Flammam, or 'Feed the Flame' (of knowledge, that is).
Nice touch, having a bit of learning brought in to the nitty gritty of daily life. But the plaque looks to be above peoples' normal level of sight, so I wonder if Mr Valpy was just satisfying his own sense of worth.
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