Seriously, Cincinnati?

 

For a city that professes to love art and to love its history, ghost signs are disappearing

at an alarming rate.

 

On the left, there's the Davis Furniture building, which is about to be torn down.  On the right, the new "Hanke Exchange" sign which covers up this:

 

 

I get it, Cincinnati.  I really do.  You own these buildings, and you don't want to advertise businesses that are no longer in existence, or aren't getting paid to advertise.  But, can't you embrace the past?  Can't you recognize these ghost signs as a tie to the past, and as their own artform?

I realize there are only two or, maybe three people in the Tri-State who see ghost signs as something worth preserving, but, just in the last year, there seems to be an acceleration of efforts to cover them up.  And I'm disappointed. 

 

Boarding House

 

Crummy photos, for sure, but it's not much more readable in person.

 

Digging Cincinnati History caught it first, along with another sign that's now safely in the hands of the American Sign Museum.

 

Worst Spelling Ever

 

On Fovrth Street.

Ain't Nuttin' Free

 

Vine, at 9th.

Any Which Way You Can

 

This has been sitting in the folder for so long, I've forgotten where it is.  It also probably doesn't help that I was on a Sunday bender when I found it.  And it's rather plain, with a hint that maybe it was never really a sign, just some out of the way art project, or meticulous graffiti.

Two for One

 

We've had this one before, and it's still not very good. 

However, in this attempt to capture that cigar sign, I noticed the faded remnants of letters running the length of the red building in the foreground.

Longworth Ghost Sign is Loooooooooooooooooong.

 

How we've gone this long without noticing this, is beyond me.

 

 

But, finally notice it, we did, while crossing the Brent Spence Bridge, as the sun was going down.

 

At more than a quarter mile in length, Longworth Hall is still one of the longest buildings in the country.

 

 

 

And it's still used, primarily as offices, although there have been nightclubs there.

 

Read some history at their website.