The Cat gets the Cream in this Clacton-on-Sea Reveal
[28 July 2015 – This post updated with new images and comments below] This stunning reveal in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex features three ghostsigns. In sequence … Read more
Sign Preservation
Preserving, protecting and restoring ghost signs.
RIP: Signwriters – Gilding & Pictorial Artists
This beautiful gilded script once marked the home of Ambridge Signs. When they left the premises the sign didn’t come with them and, until last month, … Read more
J.R.Brewer, the Butcher
I’d always noticed number 77 Shacklewell Lane because of the ghostsign below. Although very faint, it appears to advertise a business called/run by Grime. Below … Read more
E.Mono in North London
Back in 2011 an old 1920s shop fascia was revealed on Kentish Town High Street. The nature of the E.Mono business remains a mystery but … Read more
Signs & Frescoes in Pompeii & Herculaneum
When I give talks on the history of signs painted on walls I often refer to their ancient history, going back at least as far … Read more
Restoration Period in the Monotype Recorder
Last year I was invited to contribute an article on ghostsigns to the reincarnation of the Monotype Recorder periodical. It focused on issues of protection … Read more
Perspex Protecting Ghostsigns from Barcelona to Sydney
This ghostsign for Peters Ice Cream in Sydney was photographed and shared by Mike Meyer while in Australia running signwriting workshops with Better Letters. It … Read more
Ghostsigns Restorations in Cambridge
This is the third and final post in a series documenting recent ghostsign restorations across the UK. It follows coverage of the Palladium Cinema restoration … Read more
Larkspur Restoration by Brian the Brush
This is the second of a series of three posts on current ghostsigns restorations in the UK, following last week’s piece on the Palladium Cinema … Read more
Restoration of Palladium Cinema Ghostsign in Morecambe
This is the first in a series of three blog posts documenting current activities in the UK to repaint and restore ghostsigns. It is worth … 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
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
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
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
Mirrored Ghostsign from Portland, Oregon
Following the talk at St Bride, a chain of events led to Ash at Brilliant Signs, via Stewart at McLaren Signs, sending me a copy … Read more
Anarchy on the Walls: Ghostsigns, Street Art & Graffiti
Kasey Smith’s ‘Perception Filter‘ blog is well worth a follow for all ghostsigns enthusiasts. Her dispatches from San Francisco have been a big influence on … Read more
Ghost of the British Legion in Ypres, Belgium
This intriguing English-language ghostsigns is found in Ypres, Belgium, and has been identified for protection given its historical significance. I was alerted to it by … Read more
Wonderful lettering and language at heart of Fleetwood restoration project
An effort is underway to repaint the fading remains of this fantastic example of shop fascia lettering in Fleetwood. I love the language, “Bacca Shoppee” … Read more
Local Listed Status for Hackney Ghost Signs
Love Local Landmarks, an English Heritage-backed project, has been successful in gaining local listing status for two of Hackney’s most famous ghostsigns. The Blooms Piano … Read more
Housefront Coronation Mural Uncovered
Here is John Shaw in Burton scraping the final bit of paint off the front of his house which revealed this home-made mural from 1953 … Read more
A novel approach to ghostsign conservation from Vancouver
This ghostsign for the Little Theatre in Vancouver is the subject of a unique preservation effort prompted by the efforts of the Grandview Heritage Group. … Read more
Two brilliant ghostsigns from Bath
I was recently interviewed by Kirsten Elliott of Akeman Press for an article in a forthcoming magazine launch scheduled for later this year. We’ve since … Read more
Eddy’s Bread ghostsign restoration in Helena
A preview of the planned restoration of this Helena ghostsign later this year with some interesting debate on preservation issues and the history of the … Read more
Salisbury Ghost Sign Restoration Project
The Salisbury Ghost Sign Restoration Project is an initiative of three enthusiasts in North Carolina. They have recently unveiled their first two restorations, both for … Read more