 Wall used, lines standing
Hopes declared to all Enticements calling Bright hues, word spacing Skilled artists paint tall Tall scaffolds yawing Strong winds, rain falling Years to the days call Deep desires changing Once new, now chafing Signs resting in fall Histories fading
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 Ghost signs, those large advertisements painted on the outside walls of buildings, are a part of history and of art. Some communities, artists, and historical societies try to preserve this art form and the history the signs represent by restoring the signs. Others believe that their impermanence is what makes them special. These varied philosophies inspire artists as they interact with this form of commercial art.
Digital Artists “Restore” Ghost Signs One example is Craig Winslow. He uses modern digital art tools to temporarily showcase hand-painted advertisements. Winslow uses technology to cast light on the signs so that they appear newly painted. Of course, when the equipment is turned off, the signs go back to being fading ghosts. Muralists Honor Ghost Sign History Muralists and sign painters like Jeremy Russell and Scott Allred restore fading signs partway. Their techniques allow the signs to be read more easily, yet still look old and fading. It’s a way of restoration that honors the passing of time. Other artists belong to companies that specialize in restoring historic ghost signs to their previous newness or in creating modern ghost signs. The approaches of these artists vary depending on their philosophy about ghost signs. Photographers Record Ghost Signs Researching ghost signs online indicates that there are many people who photograph ghost signs. Some of these photos are collected in official historical preservation efforts like the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. In my opinion, photographers are artists, so this counts as art recording art, even if the photography is done by hobbyists or historians.
Historic ghost signs may be from another era, but people will always have nostalgia for the past and an appreciation for hand-painted art. Some businesses commission hand-painted signs on their building’s walls and windows. If left to fade, these painted signs on walls would become ghost signs. In the meantime, artists use their various mediums to record and preserve the images and history of advertising with paint on walls.  New ghost signs may be an oddity in the U.S. and some other countries, but I’ve seen them, brand new, in Uganda. I don’t know that these newly painted signs for Pepsi and cell phone companies can accurately be called ghost signs. Their paint is bright and the advertisements modern. Then again, they will fade eventually and become ghosts of enterprises past.
What confused me about these signs is that they had nothing to do with the building they were on. An electronics store might have no sign of its own (or at least none that I could see), yet have the most prominent wall painted with a soda advertisement. A clothing store might advertise a mobile money app on its wall. You had to know what was in a store before you knew which store to go to - the signs told you nothing. I saw this in cities and villages, although in Kampala, there was more plastic signage like I see in the U.S. The free internet doesn’t tell me the history of ghost signs in the U.S. It seems pointless to search for their history in Uganda. For now, I’ll leave the differences as interesting cultural points for travel conversations. *The photo was taken in the US. I wasn't able to get a photo of a Ugandan sign.  Signs painted on outside walls of buildings look to me like they come from an era before my time. The faded, chipped ones look like a piece of lingering history. The new ones look like nostalgia. Where did these marketing tools that are also works of art come from? The History of Ghost Signs The Wisconsin Historical Society says that wall signs were important in the 1800s to the mid-1900s. Several sites refer to them as “ghost signs” because they fade with time. Other than that, my internet research yielded little historical information. It seems that the history of signs, particularly signs painted on walls, is a niche topic that may require contacting a university. Ghosts Signs Start Stories Whatever their history, I can admire the craftsmanship and bravery required to paint a sign that takes up most of a wall.
How did they get the letters spaced perfectly? How many people without healthcare fell from the scaffolding? When I see a fading sign, I wonder about the lives of those who commissioned it and those who painted it. Was the buyer hopeful for the success of their business, proud that they were making enough to buy a new sign? Did the painters come to work in chilling winds, nose clogged with mucus from a cold, hoping to finish before the impending freeze came and destroyed their work? When I see a restored ghost sign, I smile because someone wanted to preserve what was old. I look at the new paint showing an old sign and wonder at the story behind those who created and saw the sign. Was a mother dragged down the street by a whiny child who wanted a bottle of soda they saw advertised? Did two lovers meet in an alley, the dentist’s sign on the wall high above? When I see a new sign, I smile because someone made an attempt at combining beauty with utility and that seems rare in business today. Why pay for a sign to be painted on a wall when you could order a plastic one to stick in your window? I am grateful for the extra effort and expense these people give. Whether old or new, ghost signs suggest a story about the time and people that created them. Let’s appreciate the beauty, skill, and history this form of art represents.  Ghost signs are signs that are painted on the outside walls of buildings. They are called “ghost signs” because they fade away. In the 21st century, you are more likely to see a faded, barely readable sign than one in good condition. 1. Ghost signs are also called “fading ads” or “brick ads.” I thought they were called “signs painted on walls” until I started researching this topic. 2. Some communities take pride in restoring ghost signs from bygone eras. A quick search for “restored ghost signs” shows that Mooresville, NC; Yakima, WA; Birmingham, AL; and other cities have artists restoring fading ghost signs, particularly in historic districts. 3. Restoring ghost signs is controversial. That same search shows that some people prefer to leave the ghost signs to fade naturally and eventually disappear. For them, restoring this part of history goes against the very nature of these types of signs. For others, the signs are interesting, but a part of the past that should stay in the past. 4. The history of ghost signs is uncertain. The history of signs seems like a very specific interest. Once that is narrowed to a particular type of sign, it’s even more of a niche. I had little success finding history about ghost signs on the open web. The consensus seems to be that these types of signs began in the mid 1800s and continued through the mid 1900s and they were commonly painted with oil-based paints. Beyond that, I suspect one would need to contact a university or subject-specific researcher to learn more 5. People who painted ghost signs were called “walldogs.” I didn’t find an open-web source for the etymology of this word. My guess is that it comes from the same lingual convention that made “seadog” a term for a sailor. There are other theories online. You’ll have to decide for yourself if they are convincing. 6. Walldogs were trained artists. People who painted ghost signs were trained specifically in that art. They used paint brushes and hand lettered and painted the signs. While researching this topic online, I saw some sites referring to people who fix old ghost signs as “muralists.” That makes sense to me. Ghost signs and outdoor murals are both painted works on the outside walls of buildings.
Next time you see a ghost sign, you’ll know what to call it and maybe appreciate the artist's work it represents. Do you think these signs should be restored or left to fade naturally? |
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Jill Hames is a writer, musician, biblical studies teacher, and ESL tutor who finds life too interesting to pick a niche. She has a B.A. in Music and Spanish, a Masters in Library and Information Science, is TEFL.org 168-hour certified to teach English as a second language, and is working towards a Master of Divinity. Jill is a member of Delta Omicron and the International Women's Writing Guild.
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Copyright 2025
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Copyright 2025