Tool Time

Central Parkway.

Smitty's

Enhance...

Enhance...

A couple of years ago, a landmark OTR business, Smitty's, caught fire.  

This is what's left, across the street from the Kroger.  

(The first photo is not from the fire, but I used it anyway. Because I also like fire trucks.)

Madison Road

Saw this a while ago, but it was always blocked by leaves on a tree.

We think the tree has been removed.

Liberty and Vine

There are plenty of Barq's signs across Cincinnati, but only two that we've found that aren't painted on walls.

Interesting to note, this is around the corner, on the front.

The Right Angle, The Right Light

I always felt like there should be some ghost signage along Wasson, but never saw anything until Thursday.

Sure, it's really faded, and not much more than an address, but, the light was just perfect Thursday, and it revealed itself.

They've Done It Again

We heard about a great ghost sign in North Avondale, but when we got there yesterday, it was too late.

Artworks, already responsible for covering at least one other, did it again.

So, Mr Sullivan(?), your artwork is covered.

What did it look like?  The answer is here.

On the south side of the building on Reading, near Paddock, the Lenox Motors sign is just barely visible.

But, now that Artworks knows about it, they'll probably try to cover it too.

I like the theory behind Artworks: breathe new life into neighborhoods with vibrant color.  But, do they have to keep destroying history to do it?

Oh, sure, it's often the building owners who want what they consider an eyesore covered up, and they volunteer their walls for the art project.  But what if we applied that same strategy to buildings themselves?  Over-the-Rhine, with all its Italianate architecture, would have been razed years ago, and plain, boring, cost-effective structures erected in its place.

Every now and then, there's a huge outcry over a building that's left to deteriorate, and/or scheduled for demolition.  Where's the outrage over the destruction of ghost signs?   They give as much, if not more, flavor to a neighborhood than do modern murals.  And they're cheaper to keep, or restore.

I've been stewing over this for a while, and where last year I was merely annoyed, now I'm angry.

What is considered an eyesore today, is often heralded as beauty tomorrow.  Ghost signs lend character to a community.  They hint at history.  And we, as a culture, are doing worse than taking all that for granted; we're actively destroying it. 

Please, share this message with your friends.  And if anyone has pull with Artworks, please make the case for saving the ghost signs.

Mt. Adams

You may have noticed some of the posts as of late, are not all that spectacular.

To be honest, we're not very impressed with carved signs, like these, but the stockpile is running low.

It's been a rough winter.

However, since we have the day off, we might do some hunting, and collect something a little more in line with what we consider quality ghost signs.

We apologize for any inconvenience.