Tag Archives: Ghost Signs

Salt Lake City, Utah building

Hand Painted Wall Murals

In some cases painted artwork on buildings is strictly for advertising; especially old ghost signs. I am delighted to see the resurgence in this type of street art. Mural painting on the side of buildings has become quite trendy and increasingly there is no advertising integrated into the paintings. I have no issue, at all, if buildings are painted with a commercial message – as long as the paintings are tastefully done. I realize the quality of artwork is subjective. Whether a wall painting is contemporary, realistic, or even surrealistic, I hope this trend continues.

Wall art in Eureka, CA
The original intention of street murals was most likely not to attract the tourist industry, but rather local artists beautifying their cities. In St. Petersburg, Florida there is a guided tour offered every Saturday to explore over 30 murals in their Central Arts District. I have never been to St. Petersburg, but I will add this to my bucket list. I do try and get shots of interesting wall murals that I find on my travels and occasionally a friend will post a photo from their travels. Two friends of mine from Virginia, Don and Donna, are avid quilters. They posted this photo from one of their trips…what a perfect mural for them to find.

Quilt wall art
I so appreciate public art, in almost any form. I am fortunate to live in an area of the country where outdoor sculpture abounds. We do have some painted murals on buildings, but not nearly enough!

Painted sign in Reno
Wall art in Crescent City, CA
This post is primarily about outdoor wall art, but I feel compelled to add a photo from the women’s restroom at The Chart House, located in Crescent City, California. This mural takes up an entire wall and is such a fun surprise when you enter the room. Everyone leaves that room with a big smile on their face.

Bathroom wall painting Crescent City, CA
Check out the 19 best cities to see street art in the United States. If you have a trip planned for one of these cities, you may want to stop by the local visitors center to see if there are any walking or guided tours for their street art.

Art in Common Places – Ghost Signs

Lancaster, PA Painted Building
Ghost Sign in Lancaster, PA

There was a period in time when advertisements (vintage mural ads) were painted on brick buildings and barns. The peak period for this form of advertising was 1920’s to 1940’s. The signs that you may come across today are most likely faded and I love that look. The sign painters were called “wall dogs”.

A gem of a ghost sign is located right in our own back yard on the east wall of Coopersmith’s Pub in downtown Fort Collins. The Coca-Cola/Angell’s Delicatessen sign was painted in 1958 by local sign painter Dan Brown. He received $400 for the fabulous work.

Ghost Sign Restoration
Restored Ghost Sign in Fort Collins, CO

Preservation conservator, Deborah Uhl from Ethereality, was selected to restore the painting in 2011. The finished work keeps the integrity of the faded piece, yet protects it from further fading and chipping. In 2013 the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) awarded The City of Fort Collins the Award of Merit for the preservation and interpretation of the Coca-Cola/Angell’s Delicatessen sign.

I find the restored ghost signs, that keep their faded appearance, to be quite enchanting. I am equally thrilled to see a revival in ads painted on buildings in these modern times. Colossal Media has brought this form back into vogue and has been credited by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for solely bringing a resurgence to this form.

As I travel around the country, I will be taking photos of painted building signs to share on this blog.

Colossal Media Sign
New Painted Building Sign by Colossal Media