New Ghost Sign

Well, one is emerging from hiding anyway.

At Race and 9th, this one just started coming out over the last couple of weeks.  We have no idea why. And we can't tell what it said.  Hopefully, more of that awful pink paint will fall off and show us more.

Grain Belt

Technically, it's not a ghost sign.  Emmert Grains is still in biz.

But you may ask yourself, as we did, why a grain business is in the middle of Over-the-Rhine's Brewery District.

And you may assume, as we did, that it had something to do with all the breweries located there in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

And you'd be right.

Caldwell Sign

Last night we gathered to see Craig Winslow's work on the Sam Caldwell sign at 9th and Walnut.

As you can see, the sign is still in pretty good shape.

Once he was set up and everything was adjusted, it was a waiting game for darkness.

Craig projected light onto the sign, to bring out the colors. 

He also projected some facts about the sign, including a history of the artist, Chuck Keiger.

And he made it pop.

And to see it all in action:

Cincinnati Magazine published an article about this sign and its creator.

It was written by Chuck Keiger's son.

Bringing an Old Favorite Back to Life

A Portland-based artist is in Cincinnati this week, working on a project we're certainly interested in.

See for yourself what he does:

Tonight, Craig Winslow will project light onto the Sam Caldwell sign at Walnut and 9th.

The show starts at sundown, and it's free.

We'll be there.

Beaver, Ohio

Yes, there is a Beaver, in Pike County.

It's the ancestral home of Mr. B. Johnson, frequent contributor to this site.

Although, he'd never recognized this as a ghost sign.

The Creme de la Creme

At 18th and Washington, in St. Louis.

Magnificent!

Especially when you consider it's facing west, and catches the setting sun.

(That's when we caught it.)

Such detail!

We see Wrigley's Gum, furniture, hats, Arrow Stamps... what do you see?

A Drive By

Taken from Interstate 64, near the Mississippi River.

Build St. Louis has much better pictures with many more ghost signs, and a history of the building.

Leaving St. Louis

This week features the last of our St. Louis collection.

This one was captured from I-64, through the back seat window,

To Larry

Still Washington Avenue. Still the Garment District. Still St. Louis.

We believe the letters underneath advertise "FURS."

(The "To Larry" in the title is a reference to the late Del Shannon.)

Jobbing

Still along Washington Avenue, in the Garment District of St. Louis.

A Two-Fer, and Other News

Still in the Garment District of St. Louis.

This week's signs can be found along Washington Avenue. 

Had we more time, we're certain we could have found many more ghost signs in the downtown. 

In other news: a Portland artist is "re-creating" ghost signs.

We talked with him on Twitter, after finding out he's coming to Cincinnati in about two weeks.

Fading Light

We left the City Museum early, because the sun was setting and the light was fading, making capturing signs even more difficult.

We can just make out the words "INTERNATIONAL"

and "SHOES."

We were in the Garment District of St. Louis, which explains why there were so many signs for shoes, dresses, and hats.

More to come.

Beer

The roof of the City Museum provided us with views of several ghost signs, including this one in the distance.

The old Falstaff brewery.

Hotel Jefferson

The Hotel Jefferson in downtown St. Louis.