USA

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 the American Civil Rights movement. (Watch on www.pbs.org here.) Hat tip to Meredith at the Pre-Vinylite Society for spotting this, […]

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

This entry was posted in Sign Stories Signs in Media and tagged Civil Rights F.W. Woolworth Film North Carolina Sign Story USA Video Winston-Salem on November 30, 2018 by Sam Roberts

[This is a reposting of the original blog post on Better Letters.] Since 1996 Las Vegas’ Neon Museum has put the city’s decommissioned signage on display in its ‘bone yard’ exhibit. It was already a ‘must visit’ lettering location but has now been boosted by […]

Brilliant at Las Vegas’ Neon Museum

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Sign Destinations Sign Initiatives Sign Preservation and tagged Brilliant Conservation Craig Winslow Las Vegas Neon Museum Projection Mapping Restoration USA on August 3, 2018 by Sam Roberts

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 covered the wall of an adjoining building. (See two more examples posted previously here and here.) Most visible are the […]

Los Angeles’ Reverse Palimpsest

This entry was posted in Signs of Note and tagged Ella Los Angeles Palimpsest Reveal Reverse USA Whiskey on July 13, 2018 by Sam Roberts

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 a lovely example of a ‘reverse’ ghost sign. This effect is achieved by the demolition of the host building, leaving […]

King Size Viceroy Reversal in Rockford IL

This entry was posted in Signs of Note and tagged Cigarettes IL Illinois King Size Mirror Reverse Rockford Tobacco USA Viceroy on May 11, 2018 by Sam Roberts

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 this blog, and explored the themes in articles here and elsewhere. There are also pieces in the book looking at […]

Restoration & Regeneration

This entry was posted in Sign Preservation Signs in Media and tagged Coca-Cola Main Street Regeneration Restoration USA on December 22, 2017 by Sam Roberts

Earlier this year I came across this project to restore a photo album of painted Coca-Cola signs, dating from 1913-14. The album is a fascinating survey of signs that were painted across New England over 100 years ago, some of which survive today as ghost […]

Photo Album of Painted Coca-Cola Signs (1914)

This entry was posted in Off Piste Photo Essays Related Work and tagged Archival Photos Coca-Cola NEDCC New England Restoration USA on November 24, 2017 by Sam Roberts

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 some of the signs there without the snowy backdrop, and also to spend some time in Minneapolis where there were […]

More Minnesota Ghostsigns…

This entry was posted in Sign Collections and tagged 7-Up Adam Miller Beer Bill Rose Bob Dylan Creamery Garage Gardner Hardware Company Ghostsigns Grain Belt Junk Type Kobra Lerner Publications Mazeppa McDonald Bros Mike Meyer Minneapolis Minnesota MN Recapturist Seaman Paper Shamrock Sign Painting Mecca Soft Drink Sperzel USA on July 21, 2017 by Sam Roberts

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 pictures of a genuine Coca-Cola ghostsign “trapped within a vestibule behind and between” the Witherspoon Building and its neighbour in […]

Hidden Coca-Cola Ghostsign in Portland’s Witherspoon Building

This entry was posted in Signs of Note and tagged 1890 Coca-Cola Coke Covering Nutmegger Workshop Oregon Peter Vogel Portland Relieves Fatigue Reveal USA Witherspoon Building on April 1, 2017 by Sam Roberts

Fading painted advertisement on wall advertising Gold Dust Washing Powder — 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. This is shown below and was quite small so I did a few searches and discovered the one above, used […]

Gold Dust Washing Powder: An Unsettling Reveal

This entry was posted in Sign Stories Signs of Note and tagged Atlanta Dustie FMCG Gold Dust Gold Dust Twins Gold Dust Washing Powder Goldie Race Reveal USA Washing Powder on March 18, 2017 by Sam Roberts

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 photographic documentation (see previous post on his process), but also pinning ghostsigns onto an ever-growing map. This now pinpoints thousands […]

Ken Jones’ Butte Palimpsests

This entry was posted in Sign Folk Sign Initiatives Sign Stories Signs of Note and tagged American Ghosts Block Bros Butte Craig Winslow Elgin Watch Highlander Beer Ken Jones Mail Pouch Montana Palimpsest Sweet's Chocolate USA World Record Wrigley on January 28, 2017 by Sam Roberts

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 with others, and on my tours, and I always have to hold my hand up and say I didn’t invent […]

Tracing the Origins of ‘Ghost’ Signs

This entry was posted in Signs in Media and tagged AdvertisingPublicMemory Book Books Brooklyn Canada coining Conservation Geraldine Marshall Ghost Signs Ghostsigns Historic Preservation History Main Street National Council for Historic Sites and Buildings Norman Mintz Nova Scotia Phantom Signs Restoration Sam Roberts terminology USA William Stage Windsor Wm. Stage on January 14, 2017 by Sam Roberts

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 amassed almost 50 in total and I was happy to hear that Tom is already in contact with Dana Forrester […]

Cars and Ghost Signs by Tom Pawlesh

This entry was posted in Inspired by Signs Sign Folk and tagged Classic Cars Ghostsigns Photography Tom Pawlesh USA on December 13, 2016 by Sam Roberts

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, Ronny offers up some beautiful examples, complimented by detailed local history research that places them in context. Versus others in […]

Fading Ads of Cincinnati

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged Book Books Cincinnati Fading Ads Ghostsigns History Press Ohio Ronny Salerno USA on July 23, 2016 by Sam Roberts

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 from San Francisco, recently donated to the Western Neighbourhoods Project. Read more about the photos and the project on SF […]

Writing on the Whale and Other Novelties

This entry was posted in Signs of Note and tagged Archival Photos Graffiti History Joe Thompson Lettering Oil Tanker San Francisco USA Western Neighbourhoods Project Whale on February 4, 2015 by Sam Roberts

This ghostsign advertising Roxy’s Hunting Goods did for Lawrence O’Toole what the Stoke Newington Fount Pens sign did for me. It sensitised him to the presence of ghostsigns in the urban environment, and started a programme of activity that would lead to the publication of […]

Fading Ads of Philadelphia by Lawrence O’Toole

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged Book Books Fading Ads History Press Lawrence O'Toole Philadelphia Review USA on October 15, 2014 by Sam Roberts

Painted sign on wall for Dr Bells — 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, Kentucky, and has elements that have survived in excellent condition, protected by an adjacent building that has now been demolished. […]

Dr Bells: A Stunning Ghostsign Reveal in Paducah

This entry was posted in Sign Stories Signs of Note and tagged Cough Syrup Dr Bells Kentucky Medical Medicine Paducah Reveal USA on October 2, 2014 by Sam Roberts

Painted sign on a wall advertising 'Hospital for Horses and Dogs' — 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 DC has been painted, with a careful distance left around the surviving lettering for this veterinary hospital. It could well […]

Skirting the Edges of a Ghostsign in Washington DC

This entry was posted in Signs of Note and tagged Conservation Dogs Horses Hospital Keith Roberts Mark Eddison Protection USA Washington DC on August 20, 2014 by Sam Roberts

Cover of the book Fading Ads of St. Louis by Wm. Stage — This stunning photograph is from the cover of Wm. Stage‘s latest addition to the ghostsigns literature, ‘Fading Ads of St. Louis‘. Stage’s first book, ‘Ghost Signs‘, remains the definitive text on the topic and so it is no surprise to find his latest work full […]

Fading Ads of St. Louis by Wm. Stage

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged Book Books Fading Ads Ghostsigns History Press Jim Kargus Ken Jones Lonnie Tettaton Review Robert Frank St Louis USA Walldogs William Stage Wm. Stage on April 3, 2014 by Sam Roberts

RE Ringer General Merchandise store front — 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 widening project. Martin Garfinkel of Roadside Gallery has captured it beautifully in this fine art print, available to buy here. […]

Moving Walls to Save a Ghostsign

This entry was posted in Individual Signs and tagged Art Beth Walls Carrollton Coca-Cola Coke Georgia Ghostsigns Martin Garfinkel Photographer Photography Preservation Protection RE Ringer General Merchandise Restoration Roadside Gallery Tony Walls USA on March 14, 2014 by Sam Roberts

Clipping from Letterheads magazine showing Coca-Cola ghostsign in negative — Following the talk at St Bride, a chain of events led to Ash at Brilliant Signs, via Stewart at McLaren Signs, sending me a copy of Letterheads Magazine from 1998. I’d expressed an interest because of the big centre spread showing lots of ghostsigns. However, […]

Mirrored Ghostsign from Portland, Oregon

This entry was posted in Individual Signs Painted Lettering and tagged Brilliant Signs Coca-Cola Coke Ghostsigns Lee Littlewood Letterheads McLaren Signs Mirror Mirrored Oregon Portland Reverse USA on December 1, 2013 by Sam Roberts

Fading painted advertisement on wall alongside piece of street art — 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 me, as evidenced by the number of times I’ve decided to highlight her observations, insights, investigations and mapping efforts here on […]

Anarchy on the Walls: Ghostsigns, Street Art & Graffiti

This entry was posted in Inspired by Signs Sign Preservation and tagged Art Article Augustine Kofie Graffiti Kasey Smith London Patek-Ecklon Perception Filter Protection San Francisco Street Art UK USA on October 27, 2013 by Sam Roberts

Cover of Fading Ads of Birmingham book by Charles Buchanan and Jonathan Purvis — Birmingham, Alabama, is the location for this addition to the ghostsigns literature from resident advertising expert and artist Charles Buchanan. For a city founded as recently as 1871 there is a rich history found on its walls, one that Buchanan has diligently researched and which […]

Fading Ads of Birmingham by Charles Buchanan and Jonathan Purvis

This entry was posted in Sign Collections Signs in Media and tagged Alabama Birmingham Book Books Charles Buchanan Fading Ads Ghostsigns History Press Jonathan Purvis Review USA on August 11, 2013 by Sam Roberts

Hand-painted sign saying 'Sign painters do it in 1 shot' — The Sign Painter Movie is now on tour with dates booked in until November, including Scotland and New Zealand for those outside the film’s USA base. I was treated to a preview screening and also got my hands on the book that accompanies the film. […]

Sign Painters: The movie, the book and the resurgence

This entry was posted in Sign Folk Sign Initiatives Sign Making Signs in Media and tagged Book Books Craft Faythe Levine Film Ira Coyne Keith Knecht Norma Jeanne Maloney Review Sam Macon Sign Painter Movie Sign Painters Signwriter Signwriting USA Video on July 28, 2013 by Sam Roberts

Faux ghostsign for Cinquecento cafe — ‘Faux’ ghostsigns are a relatively new phenomenon but are appearing with increasing frequency around the world. I invited Meredith Kasabian, of Boston’s Best Dressed Signs and The Pre-Vinylite Society, to share her thoughts given her and Josh Luke’s recent work on the example above. Several […]

Faux ghostsigns, authenticity and the passage of time: Guest post ...

This entry was posted in Inspired by Signs Sign Folk Sign Making and tagged Article Authenticity Best Dressed Signs Boston Cinquecento Faux Ghostsigns Guest Josh Luke Meredith Kasabian Nostalgia Pre-Vinylite Society Restoration Sign Painters Signpainter Signwriter USA on July 21, 2013 by Sam Roberts