The Ghostsigns Blog
The Ghostsigns blog is where I write up my own and others’ research. I have been published here since 2007 and there are over 500 articles in total. I welcome submissions, and now do a digest of these and other things of interest via the newsletter.
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The Boyd is Back in Town
Boyd Pianos’ ghost sign on Shaklewell Lane, London E8, revealed again after 13 years’ hibernation.
16 May 2025
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1001 London Ghost Signs, Mapped
The online map that accompanies the book, Ghost Signs: A London Story, now has over 1,000 pinned signs.
25 Sep 2024
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Pawned for Good: The Partial Palimpsest in St James
The ghost sign for the J.A. & G.E. Smith pawnbrokers in east London has been painted over and now lost. RIP.
5 Sep 2024
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The Mirrored Owl Cigars of San Francisco
Early twentieth century photos show an Owl Cigars sign in reverse on a huge San Francisco wall. But why was it painted like that?
26 Jul 2024
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X Doesn’t Mark the Spot: Revisiting an Islington Ghost Sign
Correcting the record for the Popham Street ghost sign previously thought to advertise X-Zalia, but now known to be for Nazalia. Photo: Roy Reed.
16 Jul 2024
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H. Newman & Sons (Have Removed), Melbourne
A surviving palimpsest in the centre of Melbourne reveals the legacy of the jeweller and watchmaker Henry Newman. Photo: Sean Reynolds.
23 Jun 2024
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Brain’s Honest Ale: Lost But Not Forgotten in Cardiff
A wonderful pictorial ghost sign for Brain’s ‘honest’ ales, photographed in Cardiff in the late-1970s by John Jenkins.
10 Jun 2024
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W.E. Baxter: A Beautiful Palimpsest in Lewes, Sussex
Layers of lettering in Lewes, advertising the W.E. Baxter printers, bookbinders, and stationers. Photo: David Quay.
5 Jun 2024
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Milwaukee’s Ghost Signs Revealed in a New ‘Augmented History’ Tour
Augmented reality is used to facilitate a tour of Milwaukee’s HIstoric Third Ward ghost signs, presenting them as they once looked.
1 May 2024
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A Halesworth Ghost Sign with a Celebrity Connection
A surviving ghost sign for William Frost, the ironmonger grandfather of the late television star Sir David Frost. Photo: Wayne Tanswell.
22 Apr 2024
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Karen Stamper’s Ghost Sign-Inspired Collages
Artist Karen Stamper shares the process behind her collages, inspired by the ghost signs in the south of France.
12 Apr 2024
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J.C. Rogers’ Beautiful Fading Fascia in Penzance
A surviving fading fascia for the J.C. Rogers butchers is a real treat in a classic style. Photos: Jon Herbert.
5 Apr 2024
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Handel in Aardappelen (Potato Dealer) in Delft
A 1920s potato dealer sign from Delft in The Netherlands, photographed by David Quay, Type Tourist.
31 Mar 2024
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Alain Murzeau, Furniture Maker, Angers, France
The former home of this century-old business tells a story of its changing family ownership. Photos: Keith Roberts.
23 Mar 2024
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Ghost Signs from Colombia and Bolivia
Pictorials and palimpsests on ghost signs for Ridomil, Lupano, and Gladymar photographed by Sarah Jupp in Colombia and Bolivia in 2015.
9 Mar 2024
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An Eye Test at Bateman’s Bournemouth Opticians
A ghost sign for the former Bournemouth optician, Bateman’s, is a contemporary test for the eyes in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Photo: Paul Godier.
6 Mar 2024
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RIP: The Chronicle, High Street, Crewe
A noteworthy letter ‘r’ on a now-lost ghost signs advertising The Chronicle newspaper in Crewe, Cheshire. Photographed by Alex Hoggarth.
28 Feb 2024
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Medical and Surgical Home, Catharine Place, Bath
The mysterious location of the Medical and Surgical Home ghost sign on Catharine Place, Bath. Photo: Tim Lindsay.
24 Feb 2024
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(Ambu)lances, Navigation Road, York
An apparent ghost sign for Lances on Navigation Road, York, turns out to be something completely different on closer inspection. Photo: Annie Greenhouse.
21 Feb 2024
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Evolution of a Wall at Oneida Market, Hudson, New York
A ghost sign for Oneida Market in Hudson, New York, shows the changes that have had to is fragmented appearance. Photos from Gabriel Nieto.
17 Feb 2024
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Holland-America Line, Santander
The retouching of an illustrated ghost sign for the America-Holland Line in Santander, Cantabria, Spain. Photographed by Federico Barrera Garaña / Santatipo.
14 Feb 2024
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A Curious Palimpsest: Foster Ltd in Bristol
Small lettering emerging beneath a recently revealed ghost sign for Foster Ltd in Bristol. Photographed by Tobias Newbigin.
10 Feb 2024
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Cigarettes Marouf, Ghent, Belgium
Outstanding pictorial ghost sign for Marouf cigarettes in Ghent. Photographed by Edwin Deschepper.
9 Feb 2024
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Why Lead Paint Makes Signs Last: A Toxic Legacy
An account of the enduring (and highly toxic) legacy of lead paint on signs, and sign painters.
27 Jan 2024
