Welcome to Words on Walls by Sam Roberts. The tip jar is here 😊.
Since the last Words on Walls newsletter I’ve been busy with my latest venture, namely a new sign painting magazine. It’s called BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the process of getting it together. While the focus is contemporary practise, there is of course a healthy dose of ghost signs material.
The magazine has a monthly email newsletter, which is free to subscribe to at bl.ag. I’ve shared a couple of the recent online articles later in this post. If you’re also interested in the twice yearly print magazine, including Issue 01, then this link will get you a discount on your first 12 months.
London in the 1980s & 90s
I was delighted to learn about Peter Marshall’s photography capturing London in the 1980s and 90s. His freely available online collection contains over 20,000 pictures, many of which show old shops and signs. I asked him a few questions about his work, and shared some of the most prominent ghost sign pictures on the blog…
Stobart Shines Again
Illuminating ghost signs at night, as Craig Winslow does with his Light Capsules, is the best approach I’ve seen to the thorny issue of repainting/restoring ghost signs. The challenge has always been the temporary nature of Craig’s installations, such as those we collaborated on in 2016. His latest project, in collaboration with Matt Cohen, resolves this by creating a permanent installation in Winnipeg, Canada.
Visiting Valencia
On a visit to Valencia I was treated to 24 hours of sign and sign painting goodness by Juan Nava of Letras Recuperadas. This included a visit to his Gráfica Urbana de Valencia exhibition, and a stroll around the city to see some of its surviving signs. I’ve shared some highlights on the blog.
Bits from BLAG
Some highlights for ghost sign fans from the growing collection of online articles at BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).
Smeed’s Smart Signs
From the regular Ye Olde Sign Shoppe column comes this article about Smeed’s Smart Signs.
Denver’s Home Run
Veteran sign painter Mark Oatis shares the story of this huge faux ghost signs in Denver, Colorado.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists‘ brilliant adaptation as a graphic novel.
Ice Cream Anyone?
The health benefits of ice cream are rarely discussed these days, but that wasn’t the case for this Boni (bonny?) shop in Edinburgh. I’ve shared a few more images and some links to the firm’s story on the blog.
Blast from the Past
A handful of ghost signs in Leicester caught my eye in 2008 and, although I’ve never visited, the city boasts some fine specimens. I would later learn of the excellent My Leicestershire Digital Archive project, and the History of Advertising Trust archive also includes many Leicester ghost signs.
Top of the Tweets
I trawl the ‘feed’ so that you don’t have to. You can follow and tag me here.
Thanks for reading. Here’s a tip jar, and here’s a discounted BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) subscription.