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Fading painted signs with Sam Roberts

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Signs of Note

Beautiful, unusual, lost and found ghost signs.

22 Hovis Ghost Signs Across the Capital

Documentation of Hovis ghost signs across London, including archival photos and contextual research.

Categories Sign Collections, Sign Preservation, Signs of Note

The Boro’ Bill Posting Company and Their Surviving Ghost Signs

Sharing research to date into what was once one of the major outdoor contractors leasing sites to advertisers for painted wall signs.

Categories Sign Stories, Signs of Note

Writing Off the Wall: The Wholesale Removal of a Viennese Ghost Sign

Last summer an extraordinary project took place in Vienna, Austria, with the aim of removing an early-20th Century ghost sign for Adolf Grünsfeld, in its … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs of Note

A Curtain Call for the Theatre Advertising of Old

Fading theater curtain with painted advertising discovered on former premises of Burr Theatre in Ludlow MA by Sean Hastings.

Categories Sign Preservation, Sign Stories, Signs of Note

Two Paris Beauties Under Wraps

A couple of years ago these two well-preserved ghost signs were revealed in Paris (see Streetview), presumably by the removal of billboards that covered and … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs of Note

The Enduring Ephemera of J.M. Hill in Southwark

Although my Bankside Ghostsigns Walk ends further West along the road, it doesn’t spend any time on the Eastern end of Union Street. However, a … Read more

Categories Sign Stories, Signs of Note

Scorched Earth Reveals Historic Eire Signs

A fire at Bray Head, County Wicklow, in Ireland, has revealed this fascinating relic of the second world war. This large-format Eire sign was one … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

Recycling & Rearranging Ghost Signs

The above fragment of a ghost sign was revealed by the demolition of the adjascent building in Melbourne in 2014, as documented by Al Briggs … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Sign Stories, Signs of Note

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

Los Angeles’ Reverse Palimpsest

This ‘reverse’ ghost sign was recently revealed in Los Angeles and provides a third example of concrete setting and holding back the paint that once … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

Evans, Jones & Ricketts Restoration in Talgarth, Mid Wales

The restoration of ghost signs seems to be becoming more prevalent in the UK, or perhaps I’m just more conscious of them taking place. While … Read more

Categories Sign Initiatives, Sign Preservation, Sign Stories, Signs of Note

A 1984 Photo of the Spitalfields Gillette Ghost Sign

I first posted about this illustrated Gillette ghost sign on Commercial Street back in 2007 when I came across it on Frank Jump’s Fading Ads … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

King Size Viceroy Reversal in Rockford IL

This ghost sign in Rockford, Illinois advertises Viceroy cigarettes, and that they are ‘Now King Size’. It was shared on Twitter by BarbarianDiva and is … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

NE Signs Scavenger Hunt

Following a series of discussions on Twitter myself and a handful of others have decided to run a scavenger hunt to locate, photograph and map … Read more

Categories Sign Destinations, Sign Initiatives, Signs of Note

E. Gautier’s Beautiful Paris Ghost Signs

Independently of each other I have been sent photos of this beautiful Paris ghost signs by Wim Dammers and book contributor Leisa Clements. It is … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Folk, Signs of Note

Ancient Lights in English Law

This blog post highlights an entire category of fading painted signs that I have never come across. They are for ‘ancient lights’ and reference an … Read more

Categories Sign Stories, Signs of Note

Gardiner & Lacey at the Cat & Mutton

The Cat & Mutton pub on Broadway Market in East London has a remarkable array of Victorian glasswork on display in the main bar (see … Read more

Categories Sign Destinations, Sign Stories, Signs of Note

Sgraffito and the Old Dairy at Crouch Hill

These pictorial panels depicting the products and services on what is now The Old Dairy on Stoud Green Road have always intrigued me, and ahead … Read more

Categories Sign Making, Sign Stories, Signs of Note

For Hire: Stunning Reveal near Columbia Road Market

Via Amanda Jacks on Twitter I was alerted to the reveal of this ghost sign near Columbia Road Market. It’s at the junction of Ravenscroft … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

Venos & Veglio Reveals on Oxford Street

The above ghost sign was revealed a couple of years ago by the redevelopment of a site on the North side of the Eastern end … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

S. Sadler, Brick Lane

This beautiful glass fascia was captured by Brian Heppell after being revealed briefly in 2014 during the fitting of new signage at 192 Brick Lane, … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

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

Hidden Coca-Cola Ghostsign in Portland’s Witherspoon Building

Peter Vogel runs the Nutmegger Workshop in Texas, and specialises in vintage and faux aged signs. Back in 2014 he sent me this collection of … Read more

Categories Signs of Note

Quernmore Road Signs & Ghostsigns Cluster

Above is my 2007 photo of the Brymay/John Bull palimpsest on Quernmore Road in Haringey. At the time, in addition to wondering who John Bull … Read more

Categories Sign Preservation, Signs of Note
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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.

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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

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