Street sign at junction of Eastleigh Drive and Kincora Avenue, Belfast, BT4 3DW

Freestanding street sign at the junction of Eastleigh Drive and Kincora Avenue, a suburban area to the north of Upper Newtownards Road, dating to approximately 1920.

This is a typical example of the standardised street signage adopted by Belfast Corporation in the early to mid-20th century. The sign comprises glazed ceramic tiles, roughly 12 centimetres high and of slightly varying widths according to the individual character, displaying white lettering on a black background. The street name is spelled out in slightly elongated sans serif typeface, with letters arranged one above the other. Additional blank tiles fill the lower row to complete the rectangular composition. A moulded tiling frame surrounds the sign, which is encased in a wrought iron frame. This frame is attached to a plain iron post. The post, frame and back of the sign are all painted in gloss black.

The standardisation of Belfast's street signs began following a decision by Belfast Corporation's Police Committee in July 1907 to adopt tile street signs for leading thoroughfares and iron signs for other streets, prohibiting hanging or projecting signs on main arteries. This push towards uniformity was prompted by the city's rapid growth and the need for legible street markers, and was likely further encouraged by the Corporation's takeover and electrification of the tram system in 1905. The widespread adoption of the distinctive white-on-black ceramic freestanding signs probably dates from around 1907 onwards, with earlier cast-iron fluted columns gradually being superseded by plain metal supports and later by square-section concrete posts. The Corporation continued to advertise tenders for glazed tile sign letters until at least 1955, indicating the system remained in use throughout the mid-20th century.

Eastleigh Drive itself existed as an avenue off Upper Newtownards Road prior to 1896, connecting with Kincora Avenue (laid out around 1867). The avenue took its present name around 1901 from a large mid-1860s house called Eastleigh that stood immediately to the west. This particular sign, with its plain pole, may date from around 1920, though precise dating is difficult. The sign has suffered the typical damage to its tiling over the decades but remains largely intact and is a good example of its type. Once ubiquitous throughout the city's suburbs, many such signs have been lost to redevelopment and deterioration, but those that survive are now widely recognised as an important part of Belfast's civic heritage and a distinctive symbol of the city.