UK

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

Return of the Poland Street Ghost Signs

Art restorers Plowden & Smith have brought back the pair of ghost signs at the entrance to the car park on Poland Street, funded by Westminster Council.

13 Sep 2021

Back to Back Beecham’s Pills in Leeds

Tracking down a series of gable end ghost signs advertising Beecham’s Pills, presumed to be in Leeds, but with a detour to Shotton in Wales.

7 Sep 2021

Council Funds Bile Beans Repainting in Leeds

Bile Beans ghost signs repainted in Leeds by Peter Barber with Council funding after request from Hunslet Carr Residents Association.

26 Jul 2021

Sign for the Signs: Two Petitions from Canada and Wimbledon

Petitions to save a ghost sign for Super Servis Shoe Rebuilders in Hamilton Ontario, and a mosaic fascia sign for the Co-Op in Wimbledon, London, England.

21 Jun 2021

Pinterest, Planning Permission, and a Prime Advertising Wall

The rapid removal of a Pinterest advertising banner that covered a community mural in Stoke Newington, and the wider ethical issues it raises.

7 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

Save Our Signs: Bath’s Rapid Response Unit

A palimpsest of fading fascias saved by a keen-eyed signwriter in Bath.

24 May 2021

Playing Hangman With Aplins’ Ghost Sign

The mystery of a docklands ghost sign, apparently advertising spirit and liqueur merchants Aplin’s, but with a twist in the tale.

19 Apr 2021

Getting Closer to André Perot’s Faux Ghost Sign on Park Street

A ‘faux’ ghost sign for André Perot near Borough Market prompts an investigation of films and TV series using the location for sets.

5 Apr 2021

A Sly Fox (& Sons) on Hither Green Lane

Unlocking the mystery of the Fox & Sons ghost sign on HIther Green Lane, Lewisham.

22 Mar 2021

Glasgow’s Ghost Signs Through the Lens of Stuart Neville

Stuart Neville has been documenting Glasgow’s ghost signs since 2007. His collection serves as a record of these changes.

15 Mar 2021

Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme, as revealed through their historic ghost sign.

8 Mar 2021

When Haig Finally Became Vague (RIP)

When Haig finally became vague, documents the one-time ghost sign at Milkwell Yard in Camberwell, which was cleaned to oblivion in 2017.

22 Feb 2021

Waygoods’ Broken Glass, West Norwood

Waygoods’ Broken Glass, West Norwood, explores the ghost sign for this radio components shop on Chatsworth Way and its unusual form of decay over time.

8 Feb 2021

Money Lent and The Mystery of Perry’s Son in Tooting

Perry & Son’s pawnbrokers sign in Tooting was painted by Frederick Benjamin Hall around the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries, but who was Perry’s mysterious son?

11 Jan 2021

The Reverse Fade: Repainting, Repointing, or a Legacy of Black & White Photography?

Examining the phenomenon of ghost signs becoming more visible over time, and possible explanations for it, including overpainting, repointing and changing photographic technology.

28 Dec 2020

22 Hovis Ghost Signs Across the Capital

Documentation of Hovis ghost signs across London, including archival photos and contextual research.

21 Dec 2020

The Boro’ Bill Posting Company and Their Surviving Ghost Signs

Sharing research to date into what was once one of the major outdoor contractors leasing sites to advertisers for painted wall signs.

14 Dec 2020

Exploring the Photography of the 1880s via a Greenwich Ghost Sign

Researching ghost signs is a very hit and miss affair, with dead ends fortunately offset by those that yield myriad clues and new paths to explore. This very faded piece on the wall of a residential property in South East London has been fascinating to investigate, taking me into the wonderful world of late-Victorian photography. […]

7 Dec 2020

Glasgow Ghost Signs Walking Tours: Free Maps

Three walks the reveal some of Glasgow’s wonderful ghost signs.

23 Nov 2020

A Cluster of Ghost Signs Intrigue in Spitalfields’ Artillery Grounds

A cluster of ghost signs including advertising for a dairy, a boundary marker and a street sign offer some intrigue in Spitalfields’ former Artillery Grounds.

16 Nov 2020

New Developments in the Case of E. Mono on Kentish Town Road

Additional painted fascia revealed at E. Mono, but then both covered by new mounted signage.

2 Nov 2020