RIP

Uncertain future for the ‘Polo Tower’ in Morcombe (via @willsh)

I’d never seen this unique piece of hand painted advertising until I came across the picture and dim appraisal of the town on John’s blog.  I’m pretty sure it must be hand painted but correct me if I’m wrong.  Regardless, a bizarre contractual situation has ensured its survival to this day, despite the closure of […]

22 Apr 2012

An RIP and a half from Surrey and Wimbledon

Photo: Ewan Munro This sign in Oxted, Surrey, is no more, while this one (pictured) is subject to the whims of ourdoor advertising company primesight.  Credit to Sebastien for picking these up. The True Form one reminds me of the Kings Cross Road BP sign before its eventual demise, and the ongoing updating of the billboards at […]

14 Apr 2012

Vancouver Arts Profile the Grandma’s Boy Reveal

This sign continues to win affections, and now there is this new material and analysis from Vancouver Arts.   See the story so far on this post and this one.

9 Apr 2012

Mapping San Francisco’s Ghostsigns

This project [Link expired] is seeking to create a comprehensive google map of ghostsigns in San Francisco.  It is run by Kasey Smith of the Perception Filter blog (recommended) and has already made significant progress. Many of the stories surrounding the documented signs are published on the blog, including the reveal of the one pictured […]

25 Mar 2012

Sebastien Ardouin discovers another RIP in Sheen Lane, Richmond

Another one bites the dust here.

18 Mar 2012

Flag Makers sign in San Francisco faces uncertain future

Photo: Joe Thompson This blog post signals a likely future RIP for this ghostsign in San Francisco.

15 Mar 2012

Grandma’s Boy sign in Vancouver is no more, RIP

This is the scene at the central Vancouver intersection where this sign enjoyed an unexpected two weeks’ of fame following the destruction of the adjacent building. A nice collection of photos documenting the brief rise, and rapid fall, of the sign in this Vancouver Sun photo collection

8 Mar 2012

Vancouver demolition reveals intriguing ghostsign

Twitter and my Google Reader came alive this week following the demolition of a Vancouver building that left the best part of this 1920s sign clear for all to see. Located on corner of Granville Street and Robson Street, it is a colourful specimen in excellent condition, the building which has come down working to protect […]

26 Feb 2012

Record Breaking Roofad

I’ve been sitting on this for such a long time that I almost completely forgot about it. In fact, Mark sent me details of it back in June 2009 so hands up for my complete slackness on that front! It is another example of a ‘roofad‘ but one with significant exposure, being situated on top of […]

11 Feb 2012

RIP: Pressman’s Army & Navy Store

The Hoxsie blog reports the loss of this great sign from Troy, New York. This photo from carljohnson in particular adds a lot of character to the sign which still remains in part following structural work to the building.  An ‘after’ photo is available here. See more ‘RIPs’ from this blog.

20 Jan 2012

Hemingway’s Ales (RIP)

This wonderful gable end sign for Hemingway’s Ales (Big Ben’s brand) ceased to exist as of 9th March 2011.  It was a truly remarkable ghostsign and featured as the backdrop for my interview with John Seargent in the piece broadcast on the One Show.  Incidentally I notice that it isn’t currently featured in the archive […]

15 Jan 2012

Lincoln

Photo: Paul Turner Another one bites the dust, this time for Blue Star/Regent in Lincoln. This sign had real star quality, if you’ll excuse the pun, and featured from the Travel & Transport gallery in the series of postcards produced to celebrate the opening of the HAT archive. This is another piece of evidence for […]

9 Sep 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

Gillette/Criterion (RIP)

Gillette/Criterion, Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 (July 2007) Gillette/Criterion, Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 (November 2009) Two RIPs in one day, what’s happening! Again, this happened a little while ago but it was only today that I managed to get out with my camera to take a photograph. This was once one in a series […]

12 Nov 2009

BP (RIP)

BP, Kings Cross Road, London, WC1 (July 2007) BP, Kings Cross Road, London, WC1 (November 2009) It’s been a while since this happened but those based in London may have noticed the erection of some new flats on Kings Cross Road which now obscure the vast majority of this BP sign that was once there. […]

12 Nov 2009

H H stark (RIP)

Having only very recently featured in the montage for Travel & Transport I learn from sarflondondunc that this sign is no more.  The building has been knocked down to make way for new flats (see 2007 status below). Another one bites the dust… Photo by sarflondondunc

31 May 2009

The Return of Boyd Pianos

I saw the above headline come through on my RSS feed from Flickr and I was very excited to see the news from Fin Fahey that the classic Boyd Pianos sign has returned after being covered for some time. Perhaps something similar might happen to the old Redferns double-bill in Wandsworth one day… Good spot […]

20 Nov 2008

Society of Operative Printers & Assistants (RIP)

Some time ago Nick sent me this picture of an old ‘shop’ front on Blackfriars Road. The building is quite clearly not used any more but the signage had survived until very recently.  I cycled past it today and the two sides visible here have fallen off or been destroyed. However, a third side (to […]

16 Oct 2007

Redferns (RIP?)

These great brickads were protected for many years by a couple of billboards, although they weren’t entirely covered.  This meant that some of the outer edges were lost to weathering, cleaning and sandblasting. I must have got lucky that Chris told me about them as when I went to get a better photo on Saturday […]

7 Aug 2007

Gramophones Records (RIP)

I am informed by sarflondondunc that this ghost sign has been erased.  It was just by Clapham North Station and I used it in my recent presentation as an example of a plain text sign which has been designed to fit around the available wall space. It was visible from both the nearby train line […]

2 Aug 2007

MOT Tyres (RIP)

This old landmark at the Regent’s Park end of Parkway in Camden has recently been pulled down to make way for a couple of new illuminated poster sites.  I wouldn’t rate it as a classic sign but there was something about the slighty haphazard lettering that appealed. Even the lettering on the shop below was […]

11 Jul 2007

Vortex (RIP)

This sign and former Stoke Newington landmark were both destroyed in favour of a new development on Church Street.  The Jazz bar moved to Dalston in 2005, but 2007 saw an ongoing squat protest to stop the developers moving in. Despite some shocking luminous grafitti protesting against the possibility of Starbucks I was pleased to […]

18 Jun 2007