Throughout the Americas and Europe, painted advertising signs, or “brickads” were a way for both corporations and local businesses to get their marketing messages through to potential customers. Often called “
ghost signs,” few are protected, many are faded, and so this sublime art form is fast disappearing.
New England has a particularly rich collection of these old advertisements, generally painted on brick facades. My favorite are the ones from apartment buildings that boast nightly, weekly, or monthly rates, with features such as hot showers. From
New York to California to even France, many of these signs are disappearing, as most local preservationists do not consider them “art,” “significant,” or of any “cultural value.” It would be great if companies like Coca-Cola could aggressively maintain these signs, but such initiatives would upset purists who believe corporate advertising in any form is an abomination.
They are wrong. They remind us of a more simpler time, and offer splashes of color to our old downtowns and main streets. They are very well worth preserving. I’ve included just a few from a recent trip through New England, from Salem (pictured above, click to expand), to Bath, ME.
Coca-Cola sign, Watertown, MA
clothing store sign, Bath, Maine
this sign in Portland, Maine, is almost completely faded
Coca-Cola sign in Somerville, MA, courtesy Marcy Murninghan
We did some work on archiving photos of signs before they get lost forever, see the project at http://www.ghostsigns.co.uk.
Thank you, Sam–these are great, and too bad they have been lost. It’s an under-appreciated art form that is part of our heritage. LK