A ghost sign is an old hand-painted advertising sign that has been preserved on a building for an extended period of time. The sign may be kept for its nostalgic appeal, or simply indifference by the owner.
History and preservation
Ghost signs are found around the world with the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Canada having many surviving examples. Ghost signs are also called fading adssee Fading Ad Gallery or brickads.see Ghost Signs In many cases these are advertisements painted on brick that remained over time.Ghost signs: Old slogans never die in Butte..., The Montana Standard (Butte, Montana). August 9, 2001. Accessed September 6, 2007. Old painted advertisements are occasionally discovered upon demolition of later-built adjoining structures. Throughout rural areas, old barn advertisements continue to promote defunct brands and quaint roadside attractions.
Many ghost signs from the 1890s to the 1960s are still visible. Such signs were most commonly used in the decades before the Great Depression.Joseph Berger. "Fading Memories". New York Times. November 5, 2005. Retrieved on October 5, 2009.
The painters of the signs were called "wall dogs". As signage advertising formats changed, less durable signs appeared in the later 20th century, and ghost signs from that era are less common.
Ghost signs were originally painted with oil-based house paints. The paint that has survived the test of time most likely contains lead, which keeps it strongly adhered to the masonry surface. Ghost signs were often preserved through repainting the entire sign since the colors often fade over time. When ownership changed, a new sign would be painted over the old one.
In 2013, conservators undertook an effort to preserve ghost signs in Philadelphia.
In Detroit, well-preserved ghost signs have been uncovered when an adjoining building is demolished as part of the city's blight-fighting efforts.
Gallery
See also Palimpsest Privilege sign Signwriter
References
Further reading
External links
Ghost signs from Canada & the US Ghost Ads at Lileks.com UK Ghost Signs Ghost adverts on Heritageandhistory.com Leading Ghost Signs Article Facebook page featuring British and Irish ghost signs Liverpool Ghost Signs - The first British ghost signs book Painted signs and mosaics - A record of ghost signs from the UK, France, Germany and a few other countries American Ghosts - Ghost Signs of the United States Dublin Ghost Signs - Capturing Dublin's history through its old and fading signs Ghost Signs of Louisville – from the University of Louisville Libraries