Ghost signs and the stories they tell

Ghost signs are the remains of painted advertising signs on walls and hoardings. People all over the world are photographing them and writing about them on forums, photo-sharing websites and social media pages.

For many, ghost signs are a living link to the past: the products once consumed, forgotten communities (such as the meeting place of the corner milk bar or grocery store), and the businesses that were intertwined with memories of everyday life. For others, ghost signs are handcrafted works of typographic art, created by skilled artisans with