Gold Dust Washing Powder: An Unsettling Reveal
Lurking in my folders of blog post ideas I came across a photo that I’d forgotten about, of a ghostsign advertising Gold Dust Washing Powder. … Read more
Signs of Note
Beautiful, unusual, lost and found ghost signs.
Ken Jones’ Butte Palimpsests
Dr Ken Jones has been doing an incredible job documenting the ghostsigns of America via his American Ghosts project. Not only does this involve detailed … Read more
NOTICE: An English Language Ghostsign in Paris
I heard about this ghostsign in Paris via an email from Ralph Adam. It caught my attention for the use of English language on an … Read more
When Daren Became Hovis: A Bizarre Ghostsigns ‘Restoration’
‘Ask for Daren Bread’ was once the simple slogan on this ghostsign on Avignon Road, London, SE4. The above image was taken by Lisa Edwards … Read more
Early Graphic Communications in Cave Paintings
Thanks to Derek for alerting me to this video which explores some of the earliest known forms of graphic communications and symbolism, building on previous … Read more
Kotanyi Paprika: Stunning Vienna Reveal
Looking barely aged since it was painted in 1963, this fabulous ghostsign for Kotanyi Paprika has just been revealed in Vienna, Austria. The demolition of … 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
Writing on the Whale and Other Novelties
Joe Thompson emailed me these fascinating photos of lettering on unusual objects, namely a dead whale (1919) and a shipwrecked oil tanker (1926). They are … Read more
Ancient Indonesian Cave Paintings
Here is the latest discovery relating to the ancient history of paint on walls around the world. This time the image above and others depicting … 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
Puck Matches: Archival Photo of a Gable End
This fascinating archival image is part of a larger collection of outdoor advertising captured photographically in the early 1930s and donated to the History of … Read more
Dr Bells: A Stunning Ghostsign Reveal in Paducah
Rob Estes of Brushstroke Signs took the photograph below which reached me via Cornbread of the Walldogs. It’s of a recent ghostsign revealed in Paducah, … Read more
Dr King: The Story of a Melbourne Ghostsign by Nick Gadd
This Melbourne ghostsign is a recent reveal and was captured by Nick Gadd, the writer behind Melbourne Circle. Nick’s research into the sign was recently … Read more
Cars No Longer Wanted: RIP
This car dealership sign has been recently whitewashed, as discovered while cycling past today. However, was it ever a ghostsign, given that the dealership remains … Read more
Who You Gonna Call?
This was the scene on Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington, on the morning of Monday 28 July. The photo was snapped from the top floor of … Read more
Skirting the Edges of a Ghostsign in Washington DC
Here is a new (to me at least) approach to respecting ghostsigns while undertaking building renovations/property development. The host wall of this sign in Washington … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
Défense D’Af: Faux Ghostsign from John Downer
John Downer is a master sign painter and typeface designer. He kindly shared the above faux ghostsign that he produced in 1999 for the Paris … Read more