Take Me to the Other Side

Other side of the river, and other side of the building.

Big Red

The Mythical Sign Graveyard

They're not so much ghost signs as sign carcasses.

In South Fairmount, at the end of Ernst, at the bottom of the north face of what some call "Nob Hill".

The neighborhood has a few houses, a u-store-it type facility, a taxi company, and in a fenced in yard, these.

Old Branding

With a little luck, the new tennants, the Brandery, will leave the old branding on their Vine Street shop.

A Bad Pic

And I don't think it's ever going to get easier to capture.  When the sun is higher in the sky, to light it up, the leaves will obscure it.

On Vine, just north of McMicken.  Visible, as you're coming down the hill. 

 

I first saw this about two months ago, but didn't get the photo until yesterday.  Yesterday, I drove up Vine, saw two more signs between McMicken and Liberty, and two more, (besides this), between McMicken and McMillan.  The light must have been just right. 

 

Following the Herd South

Got some serious hunting to do in Covington this year, I think. 

I believe this was for tires, because that circle looks vaguely familiar. 

Goon Loves Cincinnati

And Auto Needs

Blast from the Past

 

Old pal D.L. Hudson, who you'll remember from the Omaha hunt, sent these over the weekend.  And I had to laugh. 

They're from inside Murphy's Wagon Wheel, which was our college bar.  I'd completely forgotten about the ghost signs inside, because a.) I'd forgotten a lot of things while at Murph's, and b.) Our regular table was on the other side of the wall, in the other half of the building. 

It'd be easy to suspect the ghost sign was created inside, after the bar was built, but I don't think so.  The bricks were pretty weathered, even back in the early '90s, when we were saving tickets for free pitchers.

Coca Cola

 

On Liberty, between Vine and Race, if I remember correctly.

Long Ghost Sign is Long

 

Central Avenue, not Parkway, across the street from the CitiLink facility.  The lettering runs the length of the building, which as you can see, is long.  This probably merits another visit.

 

 

Also, in the news:

There are a couple of new pictures for a revisited post.

 

Not A Ghost Sign

 

But, it's the day after Mardi Gras, and I don't feel much like working.

Laissez le Bon Temps

Going south for Mardi Gras...

South to Covington. 

 

A New Category

I'm trying to recognize some of the painters who put up these signs, so, as we continue, there will be that to cross-reference, along with location, and product.

And maybe someday, I'll uncover some history about the artists.  Like Gus Holthaus, whose company survives today as Holthaus-Lackner.

New Old, Over Old

Last fall, the owner of this building on 8th, between Broadway and Sycamore had this big sign painted. 

 

After some consideration, I opted not to list it as a ghost sign, even though I was secretly happy someone was "following the old ways", and going with paint, instead of plastic.

But, then I looked closer.

 

There was a sign there previously.  Painted by someone named Schoenberger.

 

And thanks again to Visualingual, I think we have a pretty good idea of what M. Schoenberger painted.

 

She found the Schuster, on the south side of the building, which faces a parking garage. 

South and East

As far as I can tell, there's nothing written on the western or northern faces of this chimney.  It is visible from I-71.

 

(Update 3/10/13: The letters are visible from the west, from I-71, when the light is just right.)

(Another) Another Revisit

 

 

I was interviewed recently for an article on ghost signs.  (When it's published, I'll let you know where to find it.)  One of the questions was "do you have a favorite?"  I have several, and the Dennison Hotel sign, as seen from 7th and Main, is among them.  (Oddly enough, no-one's written a Yelp review.)

It's one of the first ghost signs that caught my eye Downtown, and one of the first in this blog.

And earlier this year, I was looking at it again.  (The good ones always bring me back.)  That's when I noticed that the artist, Bill Haas, apparently painted over another ghost sign.

 

Hard to say what the first sign said, especially because I'm finding conflicting histories of the building.  One guy on flickr says it started out as an infirmary at the end of the Civil War, and another site claims it was built in 1890, as an iron foundry.  One says it's eight stories, another says nine.  And so far, my go-to site for historical Cincinnati hasn't covered it yet.

 

(Updated again, 2-14-13)

 

While my focus has been on Mr. Haas' work, there are other ghost sign features on this building.

 

 

The awning over the door has the remnants of Dennison, and above that, painted over in red:

 

We learn that not only did the Hotel Dennison have 105 rooms, but only 60 baths, but it was also air-conditioned.

Gilbert

 

Gilbert Avenue, just below McMillian.  It looks to be an old movie palace, judging by the architecture.

And to be honest, I never noticed the "The Discount Co" lettering above the door until I looked at this entry closely.

As Seen Previously

 

Been meaning to revisit this one, ever since I noticed the ghosted "PAK" off to the right.

North, East, West

As many pictures as I took of this, just a block north of Findlay Market, I didn't look to see if there was anything on the south side.