London’s Lonely Ampersand
Today I visited D&AD’s New Blood exhibit and got chatting to Craig Palmer who had created a ‘zine’ all about the humble ampersand. It was … Read more
Year: 2014
Faux Ghostsigns for Coca-Cola’s London HQ
Ghostsigns for Coca-Cola are found all over the USA and other parts of the world, although I know of only one in the UK. However, … Read more
Fairground Lettering at Carters Steam Fair
Not ghostsigns, but I thought that readers of this blog would also appreciate some of the fantastic lettering at Carters Steam Fair that was recently … Read more
Ghostsigns on Londonist Out Loud
I took N Quentin Woolf of Londonist Out Loud on a portion of my Ghostsigns Walking Tour in Stoke Newington. The result is this podcast … Read more
Ghost Signs and Public Lettering in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter
On 21 May, before my Type Talk at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, I helped lead a walk through the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter. … Read more
I Love It: Marmite Ghostsign Revealed
John Hunter, one of Australia’s prolific prolific collectors of ghostsigns, sent me these images of a recent reveal in Caulfield, Victoria. They were captured by … Read more
W.A.Higgs & Co: A Stoke Newington Beauty
Walking past Tatreez, the Palestinian restaurant, I spotted this beautiful Victorian sign on the inside. It is clearly a shop fascia which got me wondering … Read more
Sign Painters’ Online Release
After touring the world, including the London run hosted by Ghostsigns, Sign Painters is now available to watch online and as an HD download. You … Read more
F.C. Osborn and the Fading Fascias
This beautiful shop fascia was recently revealed on Dalston Lane, Hackney, London, as part of renovations to the shop by a new tenant. (Thanks Bryce … Read more
Time Travel with Google Streetview
This fragment of a ghostsign for Daren Bread in Stoke Newington is one of the stops on my walking tour in the area. Now, thanks … Read more
A Book About Ghost Signs
I am on the editorial panel for a book due for publication next year. Although it will be too late to find a place on … Read more
Five Amazing Egyptian Ghostsigns from Iman Abdulfattah
If you don’t already follow Frank Jump’s Fading Ad blog then I’d highly recommend you do so. Frank is a long-time friend and author of … Read more
Fading Ads of St. Louis by Wm. Stage
This stunning photograph is from the cover of Wm. Stage‘s latest addition to the ghostsigns literature, ‘Fading Ads of St. Louis‘. Stage’s first book, ‘Ghost … Read more
Scotland in Detail: Vintage Signs from Dave Cowan
This fabulous montage of Scottish ghostsigns was created by Dave Cowan of Scotland in Detail. It is available as a print from his store and … Read more
Ghostsigns of Minnesota and the Mid-West
Earlier this month I went on my first ever trip to the USA. This was to attend ‘Mazeppa Mardi Gras’, a meeting of the Letterheads … Read more
Moving Walls to Save a Ghost Sign
In an effort to save this fading and rusting shop front, Beth and Tony Walls moved the entire building 150ft to allow for a highway … Read more
Introducing Better Letters
In the course of my research into painted signs over the last eight years I have become increasingly aware of the brilliant work that is … Read more
D. Appell Fascia Revealed by the Valentine’s Day Storm
Ghostsigns are regularly revealed by property development and the updating or removal of billboards. This is the first instance I’ve come across of the weather, … Read more
Photos and Reactions from the Sign Painters & Horn Please Double Bill
Click the picture below for a review of the London screenings of Sign Painters and Horn Please, February 2014.
Danish Ghostsigns in Copenhagen
Ghostsigns are a truly global phenomenon and the latest installment on my virtual travels comes courtesy of Hanne Andersen from Copenhagen, Denmark. She says that … Read more
History Repeating: A Stunning Reveal on Bethnal Green Road
While creating this beautiful new signage for Casa Blue, Ash Bishop of The Brilliant Sign Co. alerted me to an astonishing discovery inside the premises … Read more
Rediscovering Club Labrynth on a Type Safari
This is my creation following Sunday’s Type Safari in Dalston with Type Tasting. It is a composite of various pieces of public lettering and signage … Read more
Ghostsigns in the Family: Henry Dunn of Deal
This mid-1800s photograph shows a painted sign on the wall in Deal, Kent, advertising Henry Dunn and his various trades of cabinet maker, upholsterer, paper … Read more
Tekens Aan De Wand: Ghostsign Restoration in the Netherlands
Tekens Aan De Wand (Writing on the Wall) is a book documenting the collective efforts of local historical societies across the Netherlands to restore ghostsigns. … Read more