Signs in Media

Books, articles and video relating to ghost signs.

Absolutely fascinating investigation uncovering the historical connections between two glass signs for F.W. Woolworth Co. and the Winston-Salem sit-ins that played a major role in the American Civil Rights movement. (Watch on www.pbs.org here.) Hat tip to Meredith at the Pre-Vinylite Society for spotting this, […]

F.W. Woolworth Co. and the Winston-Salem Sit-Ins

This entry was posted in Sign Stories Signs in Media and tagged Civil Rights F.W. Woolworth Film North Carolina Sign Story USA Video Winston-Salem on by
There is one week left to back the printing of a brand new publication that will be of interest to all those interested in hand-painted signs (old and new), art, design, architecture, and the intersections of all these. One of the articles inside will be […]

Introducing the Pre-Vinylite Society Journal

This entry was posted in Signs in Media and tagged Best Dressed Signs Josh Luke Journal Kickstarter Magazine Meredith Kasabian Pre-Vinylite Society PVS PVS Journal on by
My father-in-law discovered this astonishing collection of high quality photography showing the high street in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in 1888. They were photographed by Joseph Lewis della-Porta who came from a retailing family and had the foresight to document these images which convey so much of […]

Shropshire Shop Fronts of the 1880s

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged 1880s Fascias Joseph Lewis della-Porta Photography Retail Shop Fronts Shrewsbury Shropshire Shropshire Archives UK on by
Continuing the occassional exploration of ‘ancient’ signs, I was thrilled to hear of this evidence that Neanderthals were busy painting the walls of caves across Spain. This species, almost dubbed Homo Stupidus (yes, stupid man!), were not previously known for this type of cultural activity, […]

64,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Cave Paintings

This entry was posted in Sign Preservation Signs in Media Signs of Note and tagged Ancient Cave Painting Hyperallergic Neanderthal Pre-History Spain on by
[This book review is reposted from the original on the Better Letters blog.] “Signwriters are entitled to their immortality just as are other artists and craftsmen” – Kevin Corrigan Kearns, Dublin’s Vanishing Craftsmen Signwriting is perhaps the least documented of the lettering disciplines; it’s nature […]

Karl Blaschke: The Sign Man of Munich

This entry was posted in Sign Destinations Sign Folk Signs in Media and tagged Blaschke Book Germany Munich Oliver Linke on by
The list below of painted advertisements in Islington was compiled in the hope that some of those reading it might write in with additional locations not known to the compiler, and in the belief that painted advertisements in other parts of London would make a […]

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 4

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Sign Destinations Sign Initiatives Sign Preservation Signs in Media and tagged A. D. Harvey Islington London Painted Advertisements in Islington Research Reveal RIP UK on by
The list below of painted advertisements in Islington was compiled in the hope that some of those reading it might write in with additional locations not known to the compiler, and in the belief that painted advertisements in other parts of London would make a […]

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 3

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Sign Destinations Sign Initiatives Sign Preservation Signs in Media and tagged A. D. Harvey Islington London Painted Advertisements in Islington Research Reveal RIP UK on by
The list below of painted advertisements in Islington was compiled in the hope that some of those reading it might write in with additional locations not known to the compiler, and in the belief that painted advertisements in other parts of London would make a […]

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 2

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Sign Destinations Sign Initiatives Sign Preservation Signs in Media and tagged A. D. Harvey Islington London Painted Advertisements in Islington Research Reveal RIP UK on by
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Back in March last year I had the pleasure of taking two groups from Melbourne’s RMIT on my Stoke Newington Ghostsigns Walk. This was the second time I’ve worked with the University on their special European study tour and, again, it was a really enjoyable […]

On Tour with Albani Calusin and RMIT

This entry was posted in Signs in Media and tagged Albani Calusin Australia Ghostsigns Walking Tour London Melbourne N16 RMIT Sam Roberts Stoke Newington Tours UK on by
Simon Memel sent me a link to this article on Dezeen by Owen Hatherley about an odd thing that has just happened on Walthamstow High Street. The council has funded the standardisation of shop front signage, leading to the loss of shops’ individual character. I […]

Cookie Cutter Shops on Walthamstow High Street

This entry was posted in Sign Making Sign Preservation Signs in Media and tagged Dezeen E17 Fascias Gentrification Harry Leeson London Owen Hatherley Redevelopment St James Street UK Walthamstow on by
Over the years I’ve tried to seek out and review books about ghost signs here on the blog. Here is a set of recommendations drawn from these, focused on those in English. In a future blog post I’ll feature work published in other languages. 1 […]

Five of the Best: Books about Ghost Signs

This entry was posted in Sign Destinations Signs in Media and tagged Advertising and Public Memory AdvertisingPublicMemory Andrew Swift Bath Book Books Deidi von Schaewen Frank Jump Kirsten Elliott Leanne White New York Sam Roberts Stefan Schutt Walls William Stage Wm. Stage on by
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This ghost sign for the London Co-Operative Society on Frederic Street, London E17, has now been partially covered by new signage for the Still Bar and Restaurant. In addition, the last visible portion of the sign, a small strip on the right, has been painted […]

RIP: London Co-Op, Frederic Street

This entry was posted in Sign Stories Signs in Media Signs of Note and tagged AdvertisingPublicMemory Big Local Co-Op Co-Operative Society Conservation E17 Frederic Street LCS London Preservation Protection RIP St James Street UK Yvette Williams Elliott on by
Fading Ads of Gloucester extends the current series from the History Press in the UK, USA, and Ireland. The material has been researched and gathered by Chris West, graphic designer for the publisher. The format of the titles in the series varies but this one […]

Fading Ads of Gloucester by Chris West

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged Book Books Chris West Fading Ads Fading Ads of Gloucester Ghost Signs Ghostsigns Gloucester Gloucestershire History Press Sam Roberts UK on by
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On one of my recent Bankside Ghostsigns Walks an Australian guest tipped me off about the recent restoration of a famous Dingo Flour ghost sign in Fremantle, Australia. This was undertaken at the end of 2016 with a grant from the Western Australian Heritage Council. […]

Dingo Flour Restoration in Fremantle Australia

This entry was posted in Sign Preservation Signs in Media and tagged Australia Compaq Marketing Dingo Flour Fremantle Ghost Signs Ghostsigns Mill Repainting Repair Restoration Western Australia on by
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I am conducting a small investigation into the ghostsigns of Islington and am appealing for help from readers of this blog. The map below (view full screen) will form the basis for this, in the context of the following notes. Recently while going through old […]

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 1

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Sign Destinations Sign Initiatives Sign Preservation Sign Stories Signs in Media and tagged 1999 A. D. Harvey Black Cat Islington Listing Local Listing London London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Mapping Painted Advertisements in Islington Peter Powell Protection Research Transactions UK on by
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When did old painted signs on walls become known as ‘ghost’ signs, and who coined the phrase? These questions crop up often in my discussions with others, and on my tours, and I always have to hold my hand up and say I didn’t invent […]

Tracing the Origins of ‘Ghost’ Signs

This entry was posted in Signs in Media and tagged AdvertisingPublicMemory Book Books Brooklyn Canada coining Conservation Geraldine Marshall Ghost Signs Ghostsigns Historic Preservation History Main Street National Council for Historic Sites and Buildings Norman Mintz Nova Scotia Phantom Signs Restoration Sam Roberts terminology USA William Stage Windsor Wm. Stage on by
Advertising & Public Memory is the first scholarly book focused on ghostsigns. It was a labour of love across much of 2015, work that included editing others’ work, as well as contributing to some of the writing inside, notably an attempt to answer the question […]

Advertising & Public Memory: Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives on ...

This entry was posted in Sign Initiatives Signs in Media and tagged Academic Advertising AdvertisingPublicMemory Book Ghostsigns Leanne White Public Memory Research Routledge Sam Roberts Stefan Schutt Taylor & Francis on by
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One month ago I attended the launch of Ghostletters Vienna at the Wien Museum in Austria’s capital city. The book was conceived, written and produced by Tom Koch, alongside photographers Daniel Gerersdorfer and Stephan Doleschal. It got off the ground with two crowdsourcing efforts, one […]

Ghostsigns & Ghostletters of Vienna

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged Austria Book Books Brigitte Korble Daniel Gerersdorfer Dusty Spregnagel Erwin K. Bauer Erwin Kotanyi Ghostletters Ghostsigns Johann Hautzenberger Josef Samuel Neon Neon Line Schildermalermuseum Sign Painting Museum Stephan Doleschal Stuart Freeman Tom Koch Vienna Viennese Wien Museum on by