Pinkertons

I almost missed it, the way it blends into its faded paint and blue sky surroundings. The name Pinkertons is synonymous with detective agency in the way that hoover is synonymous with vacuum cleaner. Allan Pinkerton established his agency in the United States in 1850 and became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. However this building is most definitely not home to the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. The sign on the door leading upstairs says ‘Pinkertons Optic House’, and there is a locksmith on the ground floor. At a stretch they could relate to spying and lockpicking, but really, it’s a coincidence, and I just liked those pale blue letters and the incongruity of seeing Pinkertons in a small NSW country town.