Skip to content

Ghostsigns

Fading painted signs with Sam Roberts

  • Home
  • Tours
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Archive
  • NE Signs

Signs in Media

Books, articles and video relating to ghost signs.

Ghost Signs & Light Capsules in Winnipeg

Ghost signs & light capsules in Winnipeg are the focus of Writing on the Wall, a short film about the city and the work that has been done to document and preserve them.

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Destinations, Sign Folk, Sign Initiatives, Sign Making, Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Restoration Period: My Monotype Recorder Article Now Available to Read Online

Extended article examining what to do about ghost signs in terms of conservation, restoration, and protection.

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Ghosts of London’s Wayfinding Past in this New Book

Highlights from Alistair Hall’s London Street Signs book.

Categories Sign Collections, Signs in Media

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

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Stories, Signs in Media

Introducing the Pre-Vinylite Society Journal

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 … Read more

Categories Signs in Media

Shropshire Shop Fronts of the 1880s

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Collections, Signs in Media

64,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Cave Paintings

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs in Media, Signs of Note

Karl Blaschke: The Sign Man of Munich

[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 … Read more

Categories Sign Destinations, Sign Folk, Signs in Media

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 4

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Collections, Sign Destinations, Sign Initiatives, Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 3

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Collections, Sign Destinations, Sign Initiatives, Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 2

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Collections, Sign Destinations, Sign Initiatives, Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Chasing Ghosts for the Coca-Cola Company

I was recently invited by the Coca-Cola Company to write a piece about ghost signs for their website. It turned into something of a summary … Read more

Categories Signs in Media

On Tour with Albani Calusin and RMIT

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 … Read more

Categories Signs in Media

Restoration & Regeneration

The restoration of ghostsigns is a topic that causes much debate among enthusiasts and members of the public alike. I have covered many projects on … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Cookie Cutter Shops on Walthamstow High Street

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Initiatives, Sign Making, Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

Five of the Best: Books about Ghost Signs

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Destinations, Signs in Media

RIP: London Co-Op, Frederic Street

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Stories, Signs in Media, Signs of Note

‘London Sign by Sign’ by Marco Bazelmans

Back in May, Marco Bazelmans contacted me about a project he was working on as part of his communication design studies in Aachen, Germany. The … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Collections, Sign Folk, Signs in Media

When Better Letters Met Cliff Headford

This is a reposting of the article that originally appeared here on the Better Letters blog. On 4th July 2016 I received the following email … Read more

Categories Sign Folk, Sign Initiatives, Sign Making, Signs in Media

Fading Ads of Gloucester by Chris West

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Collections, Signs in Media

Dingo Flour Restoration in Fremantle Australia

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs in Media

What is a Ghost Sign?

‘What is a Ghost Sign?‘ is the title of the second chapter of our book, Advertising and Public Memory. It is an attempt to provide … Read more

Categories Signs in Media

Painted Advertisements in Islington: Part 1

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 … Read more

Categories Sign Collections, Sign Destinations, Sign Initiatives, Sign Preservation, Sign Stories, Signs in Media

Tracing the Origins of ‘Ghost’ Signs

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 … Read more

Categories Signs in Media
Post navigation
Older posts
Page1 Page2 … Page8 Next →

Welcome

Hi, I'm Sam. I hope you enjoy learning about fading painted signs on this site. Please get in touch (sam@ghostsigns.co.uk) with discoveries and questions.

Support Me

Become a Patron!

Follow Me

Blog Topics

  • Signs of Note
  • Sign Stories
  • Sign Collections
  • Sign Initiatives
  • Sign Preservation
  • Sign Destinations
  • Sign Folk
  • Sign Making
  • Signs in Media
  • Inspired by Signs

Share This

Share

Around the World with Ghostsigns

Around the World with Ghostsigns...  Australia |  Austria |  Bangladesh |  Belgium |  Cambodia |  Canada |  China |  Denmark |  Egypt |  El Salvador |  France |  Gambia |  Germany |  Guatemala |  Hong Kong |  Hungary |  India |  Ireland |  Italy |  Jamaica |  Kenya |  Mexico |  Netherlands |  New Zealand |  Nicaragua |  Norway |  Poland |  Portugal |  Scotland |  Singapore |  South Africa |  Spain |  UK |  Ukraine |  USA |  Wales

© 2020 Ghostsigns / Sam Roberts