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Fading painted signs with Sam Roberts

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Commit Some Nuisance for Bankside

One of the ‘bonus’ stops on my Bankside Ghostsigns Walk is a pair of signs on the back The Borough Welsh Congregational Chapel (Doyce Street … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs

Social Decay from Andrei Lacatusu

Digital artist Andrei Lacatusu has created Social Decay, a series of images depicting a possible future of washed-up digital companies and their derelict signs. They … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Collections, Sign Initiatives

Michelle Heron’s Fantastic Fascias

Michelle Heron is a London-based painter with a paticular fascination for old shops and shop fronts. Her paintings depict iconic fascias, many of which have … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Collections, Sign Initiatives

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

Numbers 3-7 Stoke Newington Church Street

On one of my walking tours back in 2014 guests had the opportunity to see this reveal of a newsagent and tobacconists’ sign at No.5 … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Stories
Brimay Safety Matches Ghost Sign

Ghosting with Ghost Signs: An Experiment in Risography

One of the things I most enjoy about my work on ghostsigns is getting involved with student projects using the signs as a springboard into … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs

Fairground Lettering at Carters Steam Fair

Not ghostsigns, but I thought that readers of this blog would also appreciate some of the fantastic lettering at Carters Steam Fair that was recently … Read more

Categories Sign Destinations
Montage of vintage signs from Scotland

Scotland in Detail: Vintage Signs from Dave Cowan

This fabulous montage of Scottish ghostsigns was created by Dave Cowan of Scotland in Detail. It is available as a print from his store and … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Folk
RE Ringer General Merchandise store front

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

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Initiatives, Sign Preservation
Fading painted advertisement on wall alongside piece of street art

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

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Preservation
Fading painted sign on wall for Inch & Co Chemists

Inch & Co Chemists Inspires Poetry

Coming back from my visit to South London I also spotted this ghostsign advertising Inch & Co Cash Chemists on Kennington Park Road. As I … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Signs of Note
London ghostsign photographed by Mari Boman

Liminal Space: past/presence by Mari Boman

Mari Boman, a photographer, took ghostsigns as the subject matter for her project titled ‘Liminal Space: past/presence’. The result is this series of nine beautiful … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Collections, Sign Stories
Raja Painter Horn Please by Shantanu Suman

Horn Please and the Wonderful World of India’s Hand-Painted Trucks

Horn Please is a short film by directors Shantanu Suman and Istling Mirche, all about the bright and colourful hand-painted trucks that fuel India‘s massive … Read more

Categories Sign Making, Signs in Media
Collage showing various ghostsigns in Kidderminster

Ghost Signs of Kidderminster by Laurie Abraham

This collage, ‘Ghost Signs of Kidderminster’, by Laurie Abraham scooped first prize in a competition to depict the heritage of Kidderminster in the Midlands. It … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs
Oversized pansies painted on a wall with people standing in front of it

Was Walter Kershaw “Britain’s first graffiti artist”?

This question gets some coverage on the Guardian in this article about the Rochdale-born artist who rubbed councils up the wrong way in creating his … Read more

Categories Sign Folk

Lyndsey Smith and the signs of Bath and Lewes

The Circulating Library sign from Bath is certainly one of the most popular and regularly photographed ghostsigns in the UK [See comments on this post … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Folk
Watercolour by Dana Forrester showing two classic cars in front of a painted wall sign for Wrigley's Doublemint gum

Dana Forrester, ghostsigns and classic cars

Work on my book means that I haven’t been blogging as diligently as usual so this is getting back to it. Through William Stage (author … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Folk, Signs in Media
Mosaic depicting a New York gangster from the prohibition era

Jim Power’s mosaics, a piece of New York history

‘Mosaic Man’ Jim Power profiled in this film showing his work on the Mosaic Trail, a Lower Manhattan art exhibit depicting the people and the … Read more

Categories Sign Folk
Mural depicting men hanging out on the steps of a house

Los Angeles murals photographed by Ernest A. Long

Daniel Lohmann kindly shared the link to this archive of Los Angeles mural photography from Ernest A. Long. There is an introductory article on the Getty … Read more

Categories Sign Collections
Large sign above American diner

American Roadside sign art from Bill Martin

Bennie Frazier’s retro fashion store in Sweetwater, Texas, is an unlikely home for a collection of original artworks from Bill Martin, late resident of the … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Signs in Media
Horse heads cave painting from the Chauvet cave Ardèche

The origins of painting on walls

I’ve become increasingly intrigued by the origins of painting on walls, and the evolution of the form over time, up to the current vogue for … Read more

Categories Sign Making, Signs in Media
Berchowitz faux ghostsign from British Columbia by John Schrantz

Faux ghostsigns

Sometimes hand painted signs on buildings are created to look old and weathered intentionally.  The example pictured (original photo on Flickr) was produced in 2003 … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Signs in Media, Signs of Note
Lemoore Can't Bust Em Overalls ghostsign by Ken Jones

Dr Ken Jones’ mosaic technique for ghostsigns photography

Dr Ken Jones is a former NASA imaging expert whose work in the 1970s included digitally photographing the surface of Mars. This required the use of … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Collections, Sign Folk, Sign Initiatives
Miniature Planet Dr Pepper Sign

Miniature Planet: Ghostsigns for Model Makers

I love this, miniature ghostsigns for use on model railways and other small scale hobbies.  This will be a welcome time saver for those who … Read more

Categories Inspired by Signs, Sign Folk, Sign Making, 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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