michael1d ago
I only have very vague memories of the Russell Acott music store in the High Street, will have to visit to site to see if that helps: https://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/ghost_signs/high_street_acott.html #oxford #ghostSigns
Sam at BLAGMay 29

Good session with @RoyReed this morning running through final tweaks to the forthcoming reissue of our ghost signs book: https://ghostsigns.co.uk/book.

All being well, the new, compact edition from Metro Publications will be out in October/November, the fifth anniversary of the first from Isola Press. That publication marked the conclusion of our joint endeavours during the worst of the Covid crisis in which hundreds of individuals and organisations helped us to create arguably the most comprehensive volume dedicated to fading painted signs.

Stay tuned for more news of the reissue, which will have a very accessible price point of £14.99. It will, of course, be available from the BLAG shop: https://shop.bl.ag.

#Ghostsigns #Books #London

Ghost Signs: A London Story | Ghostsigns

Ghost Signs: A London Story| Ghostsigns | About the Book Ghost signs are fascinating pieces of urban archaeology. Imposing yet hidden in plain sight, these faded advertisements are London's history written on to the contemporary cityscape. They reveal fascinating stories of everyday life in the capital and each sign has its own tale to tell – not just of the business it
Show threadSam at BLAGMay 22

@rdp I am loving the secondary copy in the block shade — fabulous.

Is it a ghost sign? It depends on your definition, but I'd vote yes. More on that in this extended riff on the theme:

https://ghostsigns.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Roberts-Marshall-What-is-a-Ghost-Sign.pdf

#Ghostsigns #Signs #SignPainting

Sam at BLAGMay 20

It's World Bee Day apparently, so here's a beehive on a ghost sign:

https://ghostsigns.co.uk/2021/03/brothers-butterworth-beehive-in-newcastle-under-lyme/

🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝

#WorldBeeDay #Bees #Beehive #Ghostsigns

Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme | Ghostsigns

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

Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme| Ghostsigns | Brothers Butterworth & Beehive in Newcastle-under-Lyme, as revealed through their historic ghost sign.
Sam at BLAGMay 20

New at bl.ag online, 'Field Notes from BLAG: May 2026', with the New York vernacular, brush care, DIY directionals, Barcelona painters, and more from the field.

https://bl.ag/fieldnotes/field-notes-from-blag-may-2026/

#SignPainting #Signwriting #Lettering #Ghostsigns #FieldNotes

BLAG VideosMay 14

Digital Ghost Sign Hunting with Kasey Smith

https://video.bl.ag/w/keftfiidBfZPtzHjrogd2J

Digital Ghost Sign Hunting with Kasey Smith

PeerTube
Sam at BLAGMay 13

RE: https://mastodon.social/@UllaMR/116560140206207882

See also wine merchants and brothels: https://ghostsigns.co.uk/2010/01/ancient-ghostsigns/.

And a few more ancient ghost signs: https://ghostsigns.co.uk/2015/02/signs-frescoes-in-pompeii-herculaneum/

#Ghostsigns #Pompeii #Herculaneum

Show threadSam at BLAGMay 6

@modinmetro And, just inside, this wonderfully preserved pair of ghost signs.

I've put the notes and transcriptions from our book, Ghost Signs: A London Story (https://ghostsigns.co.uk/book), in the alt text.

cc @RoyReed

#Ghostsigns #Leytonstone #Underground #Subway

Sam at BLAGMay 6

Meant to share this on Friday, but better late than never for this 1 May reference in my first ghost sign:

https://ghostsigns.co.uk/2013/11/my-first-ghostsign-from-nicaragua/

#Ghostsigns #Nicaragua #May #Mayo

My first Ghostsign, from Nicaragua | Ghostsigns

My first Ghostsign, from Nicaragua, a revolutionary mural fading on a wall and photographed by Sam Roberts in 1998 during travels in Central America.

My first Ghostsign, from Nicaragua| Ghostsigns | While preparing for Wednesday's talk at St Bride I rediscovered this in an old photo album from my 1998 travels in Central America. It is from Nicaragua, celebrating 1 May, International Workers' Day. I believe this may be my first ever ghostsign photo, predating the fountain pens one in Stoke Newington by about eight years. 'The Revolutionary
Jill StrongMay 4
This time last year, I had to abandon this sign, leaving it to the mercy of a construction crew in an empty building. I left it with screws, bolts, rawlplugs and mounting instructions and quit France.
It's such a pleasure to see it up on the brand new facade letting everyone on the D93 know that La Boulangerie-Patisserie du Grand Barry is finally open.

Grand Barry is the name of the rocky outcrop behind the village of Vercheny (Drome). I immediately liked the name - in my head it was Big Bazza :-)

If you're curious about the 'font,' it isn't one. This is custom lettering inspired by a ghost sign in the nearby town of Die (swipe left to see it). But as the work progressed, I realised skinny lettering wasn't well suited to hearty loaves and indulgent cakes, so the letters got stouter. I gave them gold-leaf 'fillings' too.

For the first time, I submitted my ideas to the clients not just as a PDF but also as a sample letter so they could see the real paint colours and the leaf shining.

After that, it got technical. I realised I'd be gone by the time the wall was repointed and so devised a system for fitting the 5m sign to the irregular stone. I made a lightweight wooden chassis which would hold on a single screw so the fixation points could be marked out (see photo if bored teen demonstrating this). Afterwards the three front pieces could be fixed to the chassis.

A massive thanks to Laurie & Hugo for trusting me with their bakery-baby. I'm delighted with the results even if we all had to wait for them. Big-up Big Bazza - you can check them out here:
@la_boulangerie_du_grand_barry


#grandbarry
#laboulangeriepatisseriedugrandbarry
#alwayshandletter
#alwayshandpaint
#vercheny
#customlettering
#ghostsigns
#frenchghostsigns
#bigbazza
#jillstrongsigns
#jillstrongart