Sign Stories

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

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

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

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

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

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