The Future of Ghostsigns’ Walking Tours
After much deliberation I have taken the decision to cease leading my public walking tours after the last one in May this year. That means … Read more
Fading painted signs with Sam Roberts
After much deliberation I have taken the decision to cease leading my public walking tours after the last one in May this year. That means … Read more
Earlier this month I was back in Mazeppa, Minnesota for more workshops with Mike Meyer and Better Letters. This gave me an opportunity to see … Read more
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
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
Guests on my Stoke Newington Ghostsigns Walk in early 2015 were lucky to see a bonus fading fascia en route, advertising The Vacuum Shop. This … Read more
This very faint ghostsign on Snowfields in Bermondsey is close to the start of my Bankside Ghostsigns Walk. It may not be around much longer … Read more
‘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
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
Advertising & Public Memory is the first scholarly book focused on ghostsigns. It was a labour of love across much of 2015, work that included … Read more
Tom Pawlesh got in touch and shared his cool collection of images composed by juxtaposing ghostsigns with a variety of classic cars. He has currently … Read more
Ghost Signs of Bath has been a book waiting to happen for many years, and I have written about the city on a number of … Read more
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 … Read more
I’ve recently had the pleasure of meeting the Gentle Author, creator and driver of the incredible daily posts on Spitalfields Life. We explored the routes … Read more
In July I headed to Glasgow to deliver a workshop, screening and talk for the Merchant City Festival. (A write-up of what happened can be found … Read more
The Ghostsigns Tours App, and the Bankside Ghostsigns Walk within it, are now available from iTunes and Google Play (for Android). The app brings the … Read more
I’m often asked what is my favourite ghostsign. There are many to choose from, but, since first discovering it in 2007, the Black Cat Cigarettes … Read more
Craig Winslow is an experiential designer who has recently turned his gaze towards ghostsigns, and the creative possibilities offered by applying his expertise in light … Read more
Fading Ads of Cincinnati by Ronny Salerno is the latest in the series of books from The History Press. Documenting the ghostsigns of his hometown, … Read more
Previously covered by billboards, this wonderful ghostsign advertising Yager’s has just been revealed in Stamford Hill. Following many tweets (via @ghostsigns) and emails concerning the … Read more
The Poetry Takeaway is a fun, interactive rapid poetry unit, and I was lucky enough to get one written for me a couple of weeks … Read more
The H. Callcut & Son sign that once adorned this house front has now been whitewashed (see below). It was on Blackstock Road in North … Read more
Ghost Letters of Vienna is a project to photographically document the wide range of fading fascias, and other forms of redundant lettering, on buildings in … Read more
Last year saw the publication of Ghost Signs of Dublin, to my knowledge the first book covering the subject in Ireland. It is the latest … Read more
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