Sam Roberts

Fundraising to Repaint Fry’s Cocoa Ghost Sign

A woman in Bristol whose house hosts a wonderful ghost sign for Fry’s Cocoa is crowdfunding to have it repainted.

14 Jun 2021
Pinterest, Planning Permission, and a Prime Advertising Wall

The rapid removal of a Pinterest advertising banner that covered a community mural in Stoke Newington, and the wider ethical issues it raises.

7 Jun 2021
London’s Best Ghost Sign (And a New Book Cover)

Announcing the winner of the competition to be crowned London’s best ghost sign, and an exclusive kickstarter only cover for ‘Ghost Signs: A London Story’

5 Jun 2021
London’s Best Ghost Sign? You Decide!

Twitter competition to decide London’s best ghost sign, in support of the publication of ‘Ghost Signs: A London Story’

28 May 2021
Save Our Signs: Bath’s Rapid Response Unit

A palimpsest of fading fascias saved by a keen-eyed signwriter in Bath.

24 May 2021
The Curious Case of Two French Milliners

Two almost identical painted shopfronts for French Milliners, just two miles about, raise questions about chronology and authenticity.

3 May 2021
Playing Hangman With Aplins’ Ghost Sign

The mystery of a docklands ghost sign, apparently advertising spirit and liqueur merchants Aplin’s, but with a twist in the tale.

19 Apr 2021
Getting Closer to André Perot’s Faux Ghost Sign on Park Street

A ‘faux’ ghost sign for André Perot near Borough Market prompts an investigation of films and TV series using the location for sets.

5 Apr 2021
Uncovered Signs in Shanghai, New Book from The Type

Preview of Uncovered Signs in Shanghai which documents briefly revealed hand-painted shopfronts and other signs from the Chinese city.

29 Mar 2021
A Sly Fox (& Sons) on Hither Green Lane

Unlocking the mystery of the Fox & Sons ghost sign on HIther Green Lane, Lewisham.

22 Mar 2021
Glasgow’s Ghost Signs Through the Lens of Stuart Neville

Stuart Neville has been documenting Glasgow’s ghost signs since 2007. His collection serves as a record of these changes.

15 Mar 2021
Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme, as revealed through their historic ghost sign.

8 Mar 2021
Whitewashing History at Poland Street Car Park

Whitewashing History at Poland Street Car Park looks at a pair of Soho ghost signs for BP Energol and Regent Remoulds that were covered by graffiti before being whitewashed.

1 Mar 2021
When Haig Finally Became Vague (RIP)

When Haig finally became vague, documents the one-time ghost sign at Milkwell Yard in Camberwell, which was cleaned to oblivion in 2017.

22 Feb 2021
Are These London’s Most Elusive Trio of Ghost Signs?

Are These London’s Most Elusive Trio of Ghost Signs? Seeking clues for S. Louis & Co in Shoreditch, A.E. Cresswell (bakery), and a dairy in Shepherd’s Bush.

15 Feb 2021
Waygoods’ Broken Glass, West Norwood

Waygoods’ Broken Glass, West Norwood, explores the ghost sign for this radio components shop on Chatsworth Way and its unusual form of decay over time.

8 Feb 2021
A Tale of Two Murals

A Tale of Two Murals is a documentary that raises important questions about the conflicts that arise between public and private ownership of walls in Atlanta.

25 Jan 2021
The Enduring Mystery of the Peterkin Custard Ghost Sign

The Enduring Mystery of the Peterkin Custard Ghost Sign: Examining this iconic painted sign in Battersea, what’s known, and what questions remain unanswered.

18 Jan 2021
Money Lent and The Mystery of Perry’s Son in Tooting

Perry & Son’s pawnbrokers sign in Tooting was painted by Frederick Benjamin Hall around the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries, but who was Perry’s mysterious son?

11 Jan 2021
Ghost Signs & Light Capsules in Winnipeg

Ghost signs & light capsules in Winnipeg are the focus of Writing on the Wall, a short film about the city and the work that has been done to document and preserve them.

4 Jan 2021
The Reverse Fade: Repainting, Repointing, or a Legacy of Black & White Photography?

Examining the phenomenon of ghost signs becoming more visible over time, and possible explanations for it, including overpainting, repointing and changing photographic technology.

28 Dec 2020
22 Hovis Ghost Signs Across the Capital

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

21 Dec 2020
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.

14 Dec 2020
Exploring the Photography of the 1880s via a Greenwich Ghost Sign

Researching ghost signs is a very hit and miss affair, with dead ends fortunately offset by those that yield myriad clues and new paths to explore. This very faded piece on the wall of a residential property in South East London has been fascinating to investigate, taking me into the wonderful world of late-Victorian photography. […]

7 Dec 2020