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We're gearing up for the Chippewa Brush Bash and one of our projects will be lettering an exterior wall downtown. Here's where the question comes in... WHEN is an old sign that has been lettered on a wall considered a "ghost sign"? When it is just barely visible as an image? Or when it is depicting a business that is no longer around?
We're looking to repaint an old Leinie's wall job on a red brick building downtown and some of the city's decision makers are concerned about whether we should be creating a brand new image (which the artwork looks awesome!) or updating the existing image. Let's just say for example that the old image may not have been done top notch in the first place... would we be better off sprucing that same image back to life for another 20 year lifespan, or wouldn't it be better to really create a showpiece that may draw some new attention?
I can appreciate preserving the cities history, but looking at what we did last summer with a similar wall job, we took a 20 to 30 year old piece and completely painted it out and started over, and the support and reaction we got was so positive! If we wouldn't have done it, that so-called "ghost sign" would have kept fading and looking tackier yet. Now what's best? Any input appreciated.
-------------------- Kurt Gaber Chippewa Falls, WI Thank You Letterheads for being a part of both Brush Bashes in '02 & '06!
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Kurt, I have difficulty calling something 30 years old a ghost sign. I call that a sign that's worn out. Ghost signs were done through the depression or before. Usually the high content of lead has preserved them over time. Often a building is demolished revealing a relic in an adjacent wall. If it's 30 years old, and not a treasured piece of the community, cover it!
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hello Kurt, here's a a great book, i'm sure you'd find useful plus fascinating too.
Ghost Signs: Brick Wall Signs in America.
ISBN:0-9111380-84-1 by: William Stage
published by ST Publications / 1989
Try abebooks.com , they've got everything, good prices too.
You might even find some pictures of your own home town in the book. This guy travelled around the states and has the neatest photos of Ghost Signs, plus good commenatary, interviews with some of the last of the wall dogs (not Glenn, tho) Good luck with your project.
John / Big Top Graphics
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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Kirt, I would not simply redo an old crappy sign. I would push a much better design, or not waste my talent! Sometimes the "committee" needs to identify something historical to the sign, but with a little talking on your part, they seem to bend a bit. Have fun John Arnott
-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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Everyone has a diferrent definition of things but I was always under the impression thet a "ghost sign" was one that reappeared...out from under a sign that was painted over it as it faded away.
Or at the least one that reappeared after a wall had been coated out with paint. The reason for them was that the paints were so good that anything in a newer generation just wouldn't hold up as long and the additional coverage (from the new paint) actually preserved the old job by sealing it from the elements.
A lot of people call old old signs "Ghost signs" but to me they are just old old signs...It's the reappearance of the sign that makes them "ghosts".
Thats my opinion anyway ...curious to see other responses.
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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Thanks to all of you for letting me know what your defintion of a ghost sign is. The book sounds great, I'll try and dig that one up. Keep the comments coming, and I'll present these informative opinions to some of our decision makers and maybe it will shed some light!
-------------------- Kurt Gaber Chippewa Falls, WI Thank You Letterheads for being a part of both Brush Bashes in '02 & '06!
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