Sign Stories

Ghost sign histories and mysteries.

The Cycle of Life in Warmley, Bristol

Cliff Headford’s ghost sign for Raleigh and Humber Cycles on the former Webb’s of Warmley bike shop in Bristol receives a fresh lick of paint in redevelopment.

25 Nov 2021
Missing in Action: Barlow & Roberts

Missing in Action: Barlow & Roberts, Southwark Street. The story of this ghost signs, its former location, and apparent loss in 2021.

27 Oct 2021
Dating Dee’s Stores in Stoke Newington

A 1955 photo from Hackney Archives leads to a reappraisal of the date Stoke Newington’s ghost sign for Dee’s Stores. Featuring History of Stoke Newington.

23 Sep 2021
Harry Green’s Modesty Preserved by Michelle ‘Fashions’

Fading fascia revealed in Essex after failed attempt by Michelle ‘Fashions’ to rebrand as Fifty Ways. It was once Harry Green’s tobacco and cigarette shop.

28 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
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