Not so long ago, painted wall signs were a common sight in New York and other American cities and towns, advertising local businesses and products. Changes in America’s urban landscape over the past fifty years have not been kind to these ghost signs; most are fading quickly, while many others have already disappeared altogether. Difficult, if nearly impossible, to conserve, photographs are often the only way to preserve these remnants of a bygone era. This website is dedicated to the photographic documentation of Manhattan ghost signs. Here, you will also find stories about the individuals and businesses behind the signs.
We welcome you to browse the collection and urge you to visit the site often, as we add more images to the database.
Featured Item
Franklin Fireproof Warehouses/Century Moving & Storage
Franklin Fireproof Warehouses was founded in Brooklyn in 1924 by Bernard F. Lenihan (1889- ?). One of the early locations was 84 Rockwell Place. They…
Featured Collection
No featured collections are available.
Recently Added
- Mack Trucks
- Mack Trucks (originally Mack Brothers) was founded in the 1890s by John M. and Augustus F. Mack (Jack and Gus) in Brooklyn. In 1893 the brothers had bought the Fallesen and Berry carriage company, and… | more »
- Rogers, Peet & Co.
- Rogers, Peet & Co. was founded Nov. 6, 1874 through the merger of the clothing firms of Marvin N. Rogers and Charles Bostwick Peet (1837-1902). Both men were wholesale clothiers located on… | more »
- Mr. Clark's Suits
- Clark's Mens Wear HERE SINCE 1920 was still there in 1986.
Mr. Clark left his 42nd Street location around 1990, but remained in business on Broadway and 5th Ave. until about 1995. | more »