I am pleased to announce the publication of my third and final book, Abandoned Southern Virginia: The South Begins Here, published by Arcadia Press. You can buy your copy at Amazon now. Leave a comment and you could win a signed copy! The winner will be selected randomly on or about August 27, 2021. Thank you for your continued support.
Ghost signs, also known as faded ads, those painted signs we’ve probably all seen, are those ads usually painted on the side of a brick building. They advertise such things as Omega Oil or Mail Pouch chewing tobacco. I fell in love with these signs years ago, and that love affair coincided with my love of history. Whenever I see one I invariably pull over to photograph it. Here are some of my favorite ghost signs.
Above, Harlem is home to a particularly good example of a well-preserved ghost sign for Omega Oil. Omega Oil was an all-purpose oil that probably amounted to no more than snake oil.
Advertisement for Sinclair Oil is painted on corregated tin, Cody, WY.
A ghost sign selling signs in Astoria, OR.
An old ad for Bull Durham Smoking Tobacco in Oakland, OR.
For more examples, visit my Instagram feed.
Every city has its quirky side, and New York is no exception. New York is chock-full of abandoned buildings and hidden gems. I am thrilled to announce the publication of my second book, Abandoned New York: City of Broken Dreams.
This book is a compilation of my explores in New York and includes chapters about the Woolworth Building, the High Line, Ellis Island, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Domino Sugar Factory, and more.
My first book, Abandoned Northern Virginia, focused on my explorations closer to home. But, being a native New Yorker, this new book is even dearer to my heart.