Gone, Not Forgotten

 

The Davis Furniture Building, a long time favorite of ours, is no more.

The roof collapsed in early June of this year, after years of neglect, and it was torn down.

Let's remember it as we found it: vacant, rotting, and covered in ghost signs.

The Rybolt Heating-Cooling sign here was painted over.

Gone but not Forgotten

A couple of buildings at 8th and Main were recently disassembled. 

The work revealed, briefly, a sign, seen below...

And just under that roofline, the bottom of lettering.

See what was torn down here, and and in the second entry here.

Also recently lost: this one. It was painted over.

Win Some, Lose Some

Work looks almost done on the Ensemble Theater expansion, and they haven't covered up this sign. We are hopeful that means they're going to leave it as is.

Which is important...

Because this one is gone.

And so is this one.

And so are these.

Already Gone

Since we've lived in Cincinnati, this wall at 3rd and Broadway has been covered by billboards for beer.

Earlier this month, the billboards came down, and the scaffolding went up.

There's no certainty here, but with the blue and white patch in the upper left corner, and what appears to be lettering in the center, we're confident there was a ghost sign here.

It's since been painted over.

Why We Hunt Part II

The building at 13th and Walnut is undergoing renovations, reportedly for condos. They've already cut a whole in the wall, presumably for windows. 

These aren't easy to see.

This is the north side of the building, and one has to wonder how much longer this German message has.

Not far away, on Liberty, between Walnut and Main, this sign has been covered up:

Here's what it used to look like.

Over by Findlay Market: Gone.

At Race and 12th: Gone.

On McMicken near Race: Gone.

On 15th, between Race and Elm: Gone.

And that is why we hunt ghost signs.

Why We Hunt

Because as long as these signs have been around, they're not impervious.

(The original.)

(Before pictures.)

More signs lost to history tomorrow.

Going, Going...

Demolition started recently on the Dennison Hotel building.

Here's what it used to look like.

And on the north face:

Don't hesitate to capture a ghost sign. You don't know how long it's got.

Reference Material

John Kiesewetter shared this with us, because it refers to a ghost sign.

We believe it's this one, and if we're correct, it clears up a lot.

Also, the article refers to local historian Don Heinrich Tolzmann, who put out a field guide to that ghost sign paradise, Over-the-Rhine, recently.  We just started reading it, and hope it holds more clues to some unreadable and otherwise lost signs.

4 Floors

Again, in Hamilton, on Third.

Much of this one has gone away, but we can still make out a "4" to the left, and we assume the "OORS" was preceded with a "FL" or maybe a "D".

However, our trusty assistant, Google Maps, indicates only three floors and maybe an attic.

But more importantly, look what's across the street!

No. It's gone now. Painted over. 

An Omaha Alleyway and Another Loss Coming

Thanks be to Western Field Agent: D.L. Hudson.

And we post these upon word that Omaha is about to lose some ghost signs and ghost sign art.

We featured one of the buildings to be torn down previously.

Lined Up in Lincoln

Again in the Haymarket.

Plenty of ghost signs, and one that was covered.

And yes, that Lincoln Hide & Fur sign seems to have weathered the years a little too well.

Gone

Hope you got to see this on a former "barn" just north of the Cincinnati Zoo, because it's gone now, covered up by a mural.

And this one is actually still there, but, new construction at 7th and Broadway has hidden it again.

And Another One's Gone, And Another One's Gone...

Parents, wake up.  History is disappearing.

(As previously seen.)

Another One Bites the Dust

When we first saw the scaffolding up on Liberty near Race, we were hoping for the best.

Maybe they were just shoring up the wall, and patching the crack.

Nope.

Here's what it used to look like.

It was never the prettiest, and the historic value was probably negligible.

But, the lesson is there; don't wait to capture a ghost sign.  It may not last.

Whitewashed

Again, on East 3rd, in the Webster Station district of Dayton.

Here Today

While our Western Field Agent, Mr. D.L. Hudson was in the city, we walked through Over-the-Rhine to show him some of our best ghost signs.

On Race, he pointed this out, and asked why we hadn't featured it yet.

It's not that old.  It's not that grand.  But, it is ghost signage, and he persuaded us to capture it.

We're glad he did, because someday, it will be gone.  Like this:

Doesn't look familiar?  This is what was here before they paved it and put up a parking lot, just south of Findlay Market.

Yes. We lost another.

Way Out West

Where the wild things grow.  Here there be dragons.  Close to the edge of the world.

Everything HAS Gone

For as long as we can remember, storefront on Court Street has been little more than storage space, with a hint of something to come.

The hint has gotten stronger, as the sign was recently removed.

We were somewhat disappointed to learn there was nothing beneath it, except a rusted i-beam.

(See previous entry here.)

Goodbye

The tip from D.S. Spencer proved out.  Unfortunately.

Here's what it used to look like.

Gone, but not Forgotten

On the side of a former hotel, on Fairfield at O'Fallon, in Bellevue, KY.

The "old" sign is just a relief now.