The Wall
of Death
A hand-painted tribute to the golden age of fairground spectacle — the engines, the fuel, the trembling floor and the riders who climbed the wooden walls on nothing but nerve and speed.
Sixpence to watch.
Priceless to own.
The admission price for a Wall of Death was sixpence. For that you got a wooden platform above the drum, a view straight down into the cylinder and the particular experience of feeling the floor vibrate beneath your feet as riders reached full speed below. It was, by any measure, worth considerably more than sixpence.
This sign belongs to that world. The lettering is hand sign-written in the tradition of the great fairground showmen — bold, confident, built to be read from a distance and remembered long after the fairground had moved on. The aged, distressed finish is not the result of time but of craft: each fade and scuff applied deliberately by Leigh Kelsey, who has spent forty years perfecting the art of making something look as though it has lived a full and interesting life.
Where the Red Wall of Death burns with scarlet drama, this one carries its history differently — in deep greens and the quiet authority of lettering that has seen things. Two signs, two moods, one legend. The sixpence detail is in there too, if you look for it. A small reminder of what it used to cost to have the ride of your life.
All angles
Every piece is unique. These photographs show the exact item for sale.
The Details
- ConstructionSolid wood, deeply varnished
- Size107 × 53 cm / 42″ × 21″
- Thickness12 mm / ½”
- Weight3.2 kg / 7 lbs
- LetteringTraditional hand sign-writing throughout
- FinishAuthentically aged and distressed — entirely deliberate
- DeliveryCourier available — please ask
On the Sixpence
The sixpence admission detail on this sign is a deliberate nod to the era — the actual price charged at Wall of Death shows during their heyday. It is a small thing, easily missed on first glance, and all the more rewarding when you find it. That kind of detail is a hallmark of Leigh’s work: the sign rewards attention.
Two Signs, One Legend
This piece sits alongside the Red Wall of Death in the collection — same subject, entirely different mood. The red version burns with fairground drama. This one is quieter, greener, carrying its history with the authority of lettering that has been doing this for decades. If you are choosing between them, the question is really about the room they are going into. Both are exceptional. Neither is a reproduction of the other.
On Delivery
Light enough for courier delivery at approximately £25 UK-wide. Local collection from the studio is always welcome. Personal delivery by the artist may also be possible depending on location — just ask.
More Fairground & Racing
More of a funny signs person? Try Paintshop & Bodyshop or Dusty Bodgers.
One piece. No replicas.
Courier delivery available at approximately £25 UK-wide, or local collection from the studio. One of a kind — when it’s gone, it’s gone. The sixpence doesn’t get you in twice.