Ghost Signs (Preservation)

[cpvh]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any knowledge of preserving / conserving / maintaining gho st signs?

We have one (B&W) in the village which is Fading fast.

I have read that the reason many have lasted so long is Because that were originally painted with lead based oil paint.

I presume that?s not an option today.

Most of the (few) restorations I?ve seen online involve repainting to as new condition.

I think it would be preferable to keep a weathered look, but in such a way that it didn?t need attention for at least a decade or preferably t wo or three.

Any thoughts??

[TimW]

Wot's a ghost sign? This isn't finger posts? TW

[michael adams]

As with manhole covers there are whole blogs/websites devoted to them.

michael adams

...

[tabbypurr]

g to as new condition.

y that it didn?t need attention for at least a decade or preferably two or three.

Leaded oil paint is still available. It's use is restricted but limited.

NT

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

I have never heard of a ghost sign myself. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

You really should have used the link to a wiki, but anyway, I understand these are old legacy signs from the past, mainly painted onto render or brickwork on the sides of buildings and other structures. They tended to promote companies, so I'd imagine permission had to be gained from the people who owned the building unless it was the person needing the advert.

Later on, I imagine they tended to be painted on sheets of material and screwed onto the wall, so the company, when they moved simply took it with them. I do remember on when I was a kid somewhere on the Isle of Wight which was I seem to recall advertising a shoe shop. It looked tatty then, bet its long gone now.

Brian

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Brian Gaff (Sofa) formulated on Thursday :

Painted advertising signs, weathered from long ago, mostly on older commercial buildings. Some of the clearer ones are ones where an advertising hoarding was fixed over the top, protecting the old painted sign.

[TimW]

Oh. Blimey. Ta! TW

[NY]

The one I know (because it's near me) is

I remember it was faded when I first moved to the York area in about 2007, and has been (bean?) repainted in its present form since then.

[jkn]

Yay, I remember that one very well, from my (long and happy) time in York. I am very pleased to know that it is still extant.

Never heard the term 'ghost signs' until now, glad to learn of it.

[polygonum_on_google]

g to as new condition.

y that it didn?t need attention for at least a decade or preferably two or three.

No thoughts about how to preserve them, I'm afraid.

But I do particularly remember the very large SWS (static water supply) sig n painted on a building in St Peter Street, Winchester, just off North Wall s, by the cinema.

[Vir Campestris]

Well well, B****r me. I thought that looked kind of familiar - when I was a student I had digs just along from there in the old nurses home. Which is over 40 years ago now!

Andy