RochesterSubway.com : High Falls Repaints Old “Ghost Signs”

High Falls Repaints Old “Ghost Signs”

July 1st, 2014

You know those faded advertisements on the sides of old brick buildings? You may have heard them referred to as ghost signs because they’re usually just barely there, hanging on like spirits of a bygone era. Yeah, I love those things. Probably because they combine my two favorite hobbies: graphic design and local history.

The building I work in (in the High Falls neighborhood) has one of these signs on it. So naturally I took notice when someone began painting over it…

It turns out the High Falls Business Improvement District hired an artist to repaint two of these signs, one on the Partners Building and the other on the Parazin Building. The same artist was also commissioned to paint the High Falls historic district logo on another building at the corner of Platt and Mill Street.

John August, president of the Improvement District tells me the project is part of an effort to give the neighborhood back a piece of its identity. “When RG&E demolished the [Beebee Station] smokestacks, we lost our beacon in the night,” referring to the High Falls logo that was painted atop one of those stacks . “We have a pot of money for special projects, and so this has been in the works for a few years.”

August says the project will cost roughly $25,000. That includes the installation of new light to illuminate the High Falls sign at night.

Local artist/muralist, Brett Steeves was selected to do the work which wrapped up this past Friday.

Ghost signs offer us a look at what were the design & typographic styles of the time. They also remind us of the people who used to work here and what it was they did. These signs give great character and visual interest to our urban spaces. And let’s face it, we just don’t make ’em like that anymore. These are really one of a kind pieces of art.

As with any historic artifact, conservationists (myself included) may cringe upon reading this article. Personally, I love the new mural of the High Falls emblem, but I’m less enamored with the repainting of the older signs. Even though they are now spiffed up and much easier to see, I think somehow a bit of the historic element has been covered over; their mystique washed away. Perhaps that’s just me.

It is worth noting that all of these buildings are within the High Falls preservation district. But oddly enough, Rochester’s preservation board was only required to give approval for the new “High Falls” sign, and not the repainting of the old ones.

All in all, I applaud the effort.

Tags: ads, advertising, Brett Steeves, brickads, Button Factory, fading ads, ghost signs, High Falls, High Falls Business Improvement District, John August, Mill Street, mural, Parazin Building, Partners Building

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2014 at 7:48 am and is filed under Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

19 Responses to “High Falls Repaints Old “Ghost Signs””

Bob Williams says:

July 1, 2014 at 12:11 pm

It is just you. The repainting of them (exactly as they were of course) is absolutely the way to go. When they look sharp, they do a lot for the neighborhood. That Phillips Process mural looks great. Other good examples can be found on the Michaels-Stern building and the Capron Lofts.
AmyRyb says:

July 1, 2014 at 1:30 pm

I was so sad when the old Roosevelt one was destroyed when the new Nothnagle building was renovated. I love the ones you can see at Andrews & Clinton. I think there is one on the building where the Hilton Garden Inn is going in, and I keep hoping they’ll keep it. I guess the thing is–do you leave them to fade away forever, or simply try to restore them at the last possible moment before they’re too faded? Tough call.
Tony Karakashian says:

July 1, 2014 at 1:33 pm

I concur. I’ve been wishing for years they’d do something like this. So glad to see it happening!
Urban Explorer says:

July 1, 2014 at 2:48 pm

There’s a great ghost sign on the back of the Sibley Building and another one for the back entrance to Scrantom’s bookstore, on Achilles Street. Even more obscure, a very faint one on the north wall of what had been the Murray Theater, on Murray Street just south of Lyell. “Attend the Murray for the finest motion picture entertainment and comfort.”

I wish more current businesses used this type of signage. So much better than internally lit plastic cabinets or cheap looking vinyl banners.
Matt says:

July 1, 2014 at 3:20 pm

I’m torn on the issue. I think it’s awesome that there’s a strong effort to preserve the signage, but that faded look is extremely appealing. Considering the emphasis on preserving the signage by re-painting it instead of letting it fade into obscurity, I have to support re-painting them. There’s an awesome WHAM 1180 mural on the side of the Whiting Building on East Ave. that could use some TLC.
Jazzfan says:

July 1, 2014 at 3:26 pm

I think ghost sign restorations have a negative impact generally. They can make a neighborhood feel like a movie set – losing its genuineness even while trying to restore its own history.

But I think this project is an exception. These signs look fantastic and add some needed curb appeal to High Falls. Great job.
Vicki says:

July 1, 2014 at 3:32 pm

There’s one for “H-O steam cooked That’s why!”” (I think) on the back of the Flatiron Building. You can see it from Atlantic Ave or from University. Apparently HO was a brand of oatmeal, milled in Buffalo.

There’s also a building on Factory St. off of State St. that was part of the Rochester Marshmallow sign. Look it up on Google Street View, and it’s clearly there. You can compare it to the 1920 picture here: http://bit.ly/1xcCQ98
Patrick says:

July 1, 2014 at 3:40 pm

@Urban Explorer, I completely agree. I’ve long thought that it would be awesome if there was an advertising agency that still specialized in creating this kind of signage in downtown. I think it would look great if there were signs on the appropriate style buildings downtown that were done in the vintage style of the ghost signs… Far better than the billboards that are just basically a platform to hang a tarp….
RochesterSubway.com says:

July 1, 2014 at 3:51 pm

This type of advertising is still alive and making a comeback, particularly in NYC: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/23/meet-the-nyc-wall-dogs-who-paint-ads-on-high-rise-buildings-the-old-fashioned-way/
Jim Fraser says:

July 2, 2014 at 6:49 am

Mike,
To any conservator, this is a real dilemma. First, the discovery of a fading artifact is part of the fascination – eliminated by a full renewal. Second, authenticity is sacrificed. The signs look like they were painted last week, not in the last century. Lost is the sense of age, the passage of time. Third, and most troublesome is the possibility that the new work will actually destroy the original underneath. I find that new paint actually pulls off the older paint, seemingly because the new paint is flexible and stretches, while the old work is brittle. Poorly done, conservation can greatly complicate the next generation’s task at maintaining the original.

There is no perfect solution. But I think the best fit is a compromise. Why not do a repair that leaves the surviving original work intact, matching that coloring as it has faded with time, instead of the original, brighter hues? Further, the new work could be deliberately less than perfect, leaving a few voids here and there, to preserve authenticity and the experience of discovery.

In the DOI Standards for preservation, full replacement is a last resort. Conservators like to remind themselves of their responsibilities with a saying: “This is Washington’s hatchet. The only replacements are the handle and the head.” The best work is done with an invisible hand.
Jane Braunig says:

July 2, 2014 at 9:44 am

They found one in our town of Waterloo and made a small park right under the sign..Made the whole corner so much better..Way to go Rochester…History lives on
Steve says:

July 2, 2014 at 10:09 am

Why would a conservationist cringe at this? Isn’t conservationism the act of conserving an artifact, instead of letting the artifact fade away until it disappears into nothing?
Andrea Whitcomb says:

July 2, 2014 at 11:06 am

This is so cool. My great grandfather’s business sign was recently painted in the city. He died before I was born and my grandpa move the business to Livonia, however I am proud that my family began their journey in Rochester.
Look for “Rivers Finer Furniture!”
Howard Decker says:

July 2, 2014 at 11:16 am

Jim’s caveats notwithstanding, I suggest that vividly alive wall signs, whether reconstructions of historic images or simply new paintings, have one distinct advantage: they imply that there is someone on the city’s sidewalks to see them.

I think of the bounty of wall signs that once filled our city, perhaps best seen in Albert Stone’s priceless images of Rochester,and I compare those images with some of the ghastly, auto-oriented advertising we see all around us today, and I say: get out the paint!
RochesterSubway.com says:

July 2, 2014 at 12:28 pm

I think Jim has explained very well in his previous comment why this is touchy not only for conservators, but for anyone who appreciates history.

In addition, I’d point out that there are several ways to “conserve” one of these ghost signs – painting over them is only one option… you could choose to restore it “just enough” as Jim suggests. And there are even ways to “freeze” the fading process to prevent it from disappearing altogether.

If you have one of these signs and are considering restoration, I’d strongly suggest consulting someone who knows something about historic conservation so that they can explain all the options available and recommend an experienced conservator. Don’t just hire Joe Smitty who paints murals in his spare time.

At the very least, take good photos to document the piece you’re painting over.

Much of the fascination and charm of these signs comes not from the artwork itself, but from the idea that they somehow managed to survive this long with no one messing with them. As Jim points out, these signs now look like they were painted last week.
Urban Explorer says:

July 2, 2014 at 2:07 pm

I can appreciate Jim’s comments, but the city is not a museum. These signs are not daVinci’s ‘Last Supper.’ The city is (or should be) a living place; these signs were, in their time, rather cheaply done commercial advertising.

As I said before, cool old signs for dead businesses are great, but I would love cool new signs for current businesses even more.
Charles says:

July 2, 2014 at 8:22 pm

This is a no brainer…great idea and implementation. Plus somebody putting up money, to walk the walk. Kudos and thanks.
Matthew Denker says:

July 3, 2014 at 5:26 pm

I like these. I like where they still do them. Here’s one in NYC that I’ve enjoyed watching get repainted repeatedly over the years: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7799907@N05/9385940238/in/set-72157634825527643
Malcolm says:

July 6, 2014 at 1:48 pm

Why $25,000?

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High Falls Repaints Old “Ghost Signs”

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