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- Oct 31, 2016
- 1 min
Ghosts of Signage Past
“Ghostletters are fleeting witnesses,” says Tom Koch, author/editor of Ghostletters Vienna (Falter Verlag), “existing under the constant threat [of] being dismantled or painted over. They leave their traces all over the city—on storefronts and above shop entrances where lettering has been removed. Many have remained a visible part of the cityscape for years, if not decades.” Ghostletters Vienna stands as a visual monument to these palimpsests of an urban microcosm that once w
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- Sep 28, 2015
- 2 min
More Sign Language
George Steere, the proprietor of “Sign Letters,” stated his terms were “net cash,” “no discount” for his white enameled, wood, glass, brass and paper letters for window signs. Nor was there any allowance for breakage in transportation: “All goods carefully packed and shipped at purchaser’s risk,” he wrote. Steere also wrote, “Since the first introduction of Sign Letters for window use (about 1882 in Chicago), their rapid increase in public use has furnished the most conclusiv
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- Feb 2, 2012
- 1 min
Sign Language
These simple silk-screened signs from the late 1930s or early 1940s say a lot about the English language and American mores of the times. In just a few words one can guess what kind of establishment (cafe/bar) it was and even speculate as to the clientele. And questions are asked to: Why are ladies not allowed to sit at the bar? Why is dancing prohibited? What strata of establishment would hang such well branded signs? Why blue? The quality of the signs are better than averag
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- Jan 25, 2012
- 2 min
On the Roadside Sign Again
I’ve been slightly obsessed with portable roadside signage since I first encountered a stretch of white boxes with flashing red arrows along Route 28 in upstate New York. I’d certainly seen that form of advertising before, but didn’t realize how ubiquitous it was throughout rural America (or admittedly, what little I know of rural America). I fantasized about owning a portable sign of my very own, and made mental lists of what it would say. In the end, the beauty of the sign
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