Sign Collections

Preserve NZ

The latest contributions to the Preserve project in New Zealand have just been uploaded including this great photo of the famous Kings Cross ‘Scales, Weights & Weighing Machines’ sign taken by Sam Hardacre.  I’ve been in touch with Mark who runs the project and will write more about him and his work soon. In the […]

2 Mar 2010

February Favourites

Every so often I have a dig around in the Ghostsigns Flickr group to see what new arrivals have landed since my last visit. Leaving it for two months meant that over yesterday and today I’ve made lots of great discoveries.  As yet they’re not all due to be included in the archive but I […]

26 Feb 2010

Tom Bland

In the course of researching and documenting ghostsigns from across the country I have come across many distinctive ways of interpreting the signs, via photographic means or in broader media such as paint and sculpture/models (see Martin Thompson, Stuart Free and Emmanuel Nouaillier for example). Recently I have discovered the work of photographer Tom Bland […]

19 Feb 2010

Roofads

Church Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire Photo: rebalrid As I get increasingly close to the material gathered for the archive I start to notice little subtexts, themes and oddities within the collection. The latest of these is a series of what I have tentatively called ‘roofads’. These are signs painted directly onto the roofing tiles of buildings, […]

18 Feb 2010

Postcards

A sneak preview of some postcards that I’ve been working on with Jane to accompany the launch of the archive. More news of these and how to get hold of them to follow…

12 Feb 2010

Draft Chapter (Food & Drink)

I’d love to get your feedback on a draft chapter for a possible book to accompany the archive. If this gets published then it will help raise funds to support the ongoing work of the History of Advertising Trust in this area. As usual please leave comments below or get in touch. NB. The images […]

8 Jan 2010

Who was Little Miss Barber?

Check out these West Midlands signs featuring a character called Little Miss Barber. But who was she? She appears on painted advertisements for Barber’s, Orantips and Twinings teas but besides these photos there seems to be no record of this energetic tea promoter. More images can be viewed in this Flickr gallery, any help finding […]

8 Jan 2010

Standard Fireworks (RIP)

Photo by robo2004 Destruction and demolition are no strangers to ghostsigns, as the expanding list of ‘obituaries’ documents. Recently news has reached me of one loss and another potentially on the horizon.  These show why the work on the archive is important in preserving the last survivors of this lost art/craft form. First up is this […]

22 Dec 2009

Merry Christmas from Ghostsigns

A little video treat to wish you all the best for the festive season, courtesy of the ghostsigns project. (Inspired by Jane’s card and with music from The Children of St. Philips School Cambridge.) Merry Christmas!

20 Dec 2009

Ghostsigns (Most Wanted)

Here are six Flickr galleries of signs not yet ready for inclusion in the Ghostsigns Archive.  The archive is set to launch in January 2010. To date there have been almost 3,000 photos added to the Flickr group from over 300 photographers. Many of these have also been confirmed as gifts to the History of […]

26 Nov 2009

Bath Ghostsigns

A short visit to Bath and Bristol over the weekend allowed me to visit a handful of west country signs. These maybe aren’t the best examples from that part of the world but if you want to see more then I would recommend checking out Aztec West‘s collection over on Flickr (Bristol and Elsewhere). The […]

3 Nov 2009

Trades & Hospitality

I’ve been a little tied up with changing jobs and planning a wedding but am now back to blogging and pushing the archive forwards again. First up is the final montage in the current series, this time celebrating signs from two categories, Trades, Builders, Plumbers, Handymen and Hotels, Cafes, Restaurants.  These have been combined under […]

22 Oct 2009

The Archive, Phase 2

[The following blog post was written in August 2009 and signified the second phase of the effort to create a Ghostsigns Archive. This has been realised with the archive opening for business on 19th Mrch 2010. Visit this page for more information.] Commit your photos to the Ghostsigns Archive. Just under five months ago I set […]

8 Aug 2009

Media & Shops

This montage is again a little bit of a mixed bag featuring signs from the Media, Cinema & Entertainment and Shops & Retail categories.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep them coming! If you have any interesting […]

3 Jul 2009

Odds & Sods

This montage is a little bit of a mixed bag featuring signs from the Razors & Stationery and Pets & Feed categories which also include some for paint and coal companies.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep […]

23 Jun 2009

Chemists & Health

Some great signs in the category of Chemists, Medical & Health.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Here’s a little montage featuring some of the most interesting signs. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep them coming! If you have any interesting ghost signs […]

20 Jun 2009

Services & Financial

Some great signs in the category of Services, Banks & Financial.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Here’s a little montage featuring some of the most interesting signs. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep them coming! If you have any interesting ghost signs […]

20 Jun 2009

Household & Furniture

Some great signs in the category of Household & Furniture.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Here’s a little montage featuring some of the most interesting signs. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep them coming! If you have any interesting ghost signs from […]

3 Jun 2009

Travel & Transport

Some great signs in the category of Travel & Transport.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Here’s a little montage featuring some of the most interesting signs. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep them coming! If you have any interesting ghost signs from the UK or Ireland then please […]

27 May 2009

Latest Received (sort of…)

Its been a while since I’ve posted some images received and I’ll probably be doing less of this as the Flickr group for the ghostsigns archive is now the natural home for all submissions, at least those from the UK and Ireland. However, I’ve been sitting on some pictures for a while now which its […]

25 May 2009

Shoes & Clothing

Slightly less material in the Shoes & Clothing category.  See more images in the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive. Here’s a little montage featuring some of the most interesting signs. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep them coming! If you have any interesting ghost signs from the UK or Ireland then please get […]

21 May 2009

Food & Drink

So the Food & Drink category was a popular one with plenty of material submitted to the Flickr group being used to set up the Ghost Signs Archive.  Here’s a little montage featuring some of the most interesting signs, adding to last week’s on Booze & Fags. Thanks again to everyone contributing their images, keep […]

16 May 2009

Booze & Fags 2

Since creating the montage of signs received in the Booze & Fags category a handful more have been added to the pool which are worth sharing (see below). I’m currently working on Food & Drink and it feels like the archive is finally arriving. A striking gable end for Hemmingways brewery in Leeds taken by […]

13 May 2009

Booze & Fags

So the archive is going well, there are now over 130 members who have collectively contributed over 850 pictures.  Thank you all, keep up the good work. If you not involved yet then get on board and find out more before adding your pictures. The approach I’m going to take from now on is to […]

10 May 2009