Ghost sign hunting: A hobby full of soul

Painting a picture of the addictive hobby of advertising and architecture enthusiasts
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A Ghost Sign of the Times

In recent years a phenomenon has emerged amongst vintage advertising enthusiasts: spotting ghost signs. Ghost signs are the result of hand-painted advertisements on buildings and fences from the early twentieth century being exposed to the elements over many decades. So, this 'spooky’ season why not explore the advertising graveyard and use Trove to research the stories behind the signs.

A black and white image of a large two-storey building next to train tracks. The building is covered in advertising signage with the largest sign for Lane's Emulsions, spanning across the whole building.
Bruce Howard, Advertising billboards... on railway platform and wall, East Richmond, Victoria, c.1930nla.obj-141705507

A New Kind of In-spectre

People now make a habit of exploring cities in the hope of spotting ghost signs and sharing their finds with fellow enthusiasts. If you’re interested in hearing more from a ghost sign enthusiast, you can listen to this ABC interview with Melbourne writer and Ghost Sign Enthusiast Nick Gadd available through Trove.

Once you discover the existence of ghost signs it’s hard to stop yourself spotting them all around you.

A black and white image of two men. One of the men is painting on a window while the other man watch closely over his shoulder.
Max Dupain, Signwriter, c.1930s–1940s, /trove.nla.gov.au/work/236195299

In the present day what we see now may be a partially faded advertisement or even just a shadow of a company name, but the spirit of the work remains. These hand-painted works exhibit a sense of unbridled freedom in the artistry, and they have delightful imperfections that prove they were free-handed. Enjoy this WIN News video in Trove of signwriters at work.

A black and white image at a petrol station in the 1940's. There is a petrol bowser on the left of the screen and next to it is a man resting against a ladder. He is positioned in front of a large wall with a hand-painted advertisement for Shell Petroleum which reads 'Look for the yellow disc'.
Sign writing in Goomalling, Western Australia, c.1940, trove.nla.gov.au/work/238502465

For vintage advertising enthusiasts, it’s also interesting to see the progression of the company brand identity, from cruder beginnings to the distinctive branding we see today.

A black and white image of three men and one woman in a songwriting class. They all have an easel in front of them and they are all midway through painting a sign.
Interior of Brisbane Technical College Signwriting class, c.1900trove.nla.gov.au/work/236389052

In the early twentieth century signwriting was an artform, with hand-painted pieces serving as a sort of artistic signature that is still being recognised and appreciated decades later.

Because of the uniqueness and high skill level needed for these signs, some signwriters even developed quite a following.

An image of a newspaper article which reads, 'Well-known signwriter Walter Frederick Ramage died last night after an emergency operation at midnight on Sunday. For many years he painted the scenes for the W.A. Concert Artists, also the scenes for the Alan Wilkie Shakespearian plays m Perth. Mr. Ramage was supervisor in structor of art trade classes at the Perth Technical College, was also closely connected with the rehabi litation training of ex-servicemen in trade art. Mr. Ramage, who would hava been 74 next December, leaves a widow, two children- and four grandchildren.'
'Well-known Perth Signwriter', The Daily News, 23 October 1946, nla.news-article78260929

The ‘ghost’ component of ghost signs doesn’t just refer to the faded signage, it is also a reference to a personal artistry that doesn’t exist in the same way anymore in advertising. Other forms of marketing materials – like posters – can be easier to preserve and maintain records of over many years. But there’s something about the impermanence of hand-painted signs and their fragility against the elements that makes you want to stop and appreciate them while you can.

A sepia image of a signwriting class with fourteen male students, one female student and a male teacher. Five students are positioned on a large bench at the forefront of the image. Six students are positioned in front of easels, hand painting signs. The other students are to the back right of the image, sitting around a large table.
Students in a signwriting class, Working Men's College, 1920, trove.nla.gov.au/work/166983734

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost… Sign

Don’t let the spooky name fool you, ghost sign hunting boils down to an appreciation of artistic expression and craftsmanship from days gone by. Part of the appeal of spotting ghost signs is they’re like fingerprints that give clues about the popular culture at the time. They give hints about the media platforms that were popular, the clothing that was in fashion and the brands that were reigning supreme. Nowadays, you’re not likely to see advertising for a ‘cure-all tonic’, ‘dental cream’ or ‘unrivalled pickles’.

Many ghost sign hunters are using Trove to trace the origin and histories behind these signs. Who owned that old shop? Whatever happened to that brand? These are some of the questions Trove can help you answer about the fading signage in your hometown.

A sepia landscape image of Flinders Street in Melbourne in the 1930's. There are railway lines at the forefront of the image. Further back there is fencing in front of buildings with painted signage running along the length of the fence. The visible advertising is for Smartone for suede shoes and Clements Tonic. The Sun building is at the centre of the image.
Painted signs along fence advertising Smartone for suede shoes and Clements Tonic near railway lines with The Sun building in background, Flinders Street, Melbourne, c.1930, nla.obj-152808009

Another part of the appeal of ghost signs is with every passing year they get harder and harder to find. Urbanisation has seen a number of older buildings demolished, taking with them these old glimpses into the past. Some ghost sign hunters rush to see a sign just before a building is demolished. 

Get in the Spirit

We’re challenging Voluntroves and In-spectres to create public lists in Trove to help trace back the origins of ghost signs. We want you to find photographs of these signs in their heyday and the stories behind them. Share your lists with us on Facebook for other ghost signs enthusiasts to appreciate.

For some inspiration to get started, here’s a list of some ghost signs photographed recently by Voluntroves Philip Mallis and Mademoiselle Couché and added to Trove.

Discover how to create lists in Trove.

Time to sign off!