The Baker Hotel in Texas

I watched a ghost TV show about this hotel. The ghost search didn’t interest me very much, I wanted to see the building! So I went on a search of my own, online. I made screen captures from Google Street View, images were taken in 2013.

Continue reading →

Auto Related Ghost Signs Contest

Not sure if this is ongoing but you can check the Facebook group and contact the company. If you have automobile related ghost sign photographs they will pay $25 for your photo. Seems worth looking into.

National Parts Locator Service Ghost Sign Photo Contest

Ghost Signs Contest

These are old signs of the past. They are still among us, but they are slowly disappearing. They are old and faded now. They are signs that were painted on the sides or front of buildings, walls, billboards on the road, they used to advertise products and services of a bygone era. The most common Ghost Signs seem to be old Coke ads. Many of them are 50 years old or older.

We are searching for auto-related Ghost Signs of the past. Anything that is auto-related will be considered. Such as gas stations, oil logos, old Dealerships: Packard, Cadillac, Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, Kaiser, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, etc., Part Stores, Tires, Batteries, Roadside Attraction Signs, Auto Garages, and more. They represent a bygone era, some painted, but many were electrical. They represent our past. They attracted our attention, but now they are ghostly, faded reminders of days gone by.

We will pay $25 dollars for clear photographs of these Ghost Signs. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

Found a Local Ghost Sign

I was looking at Google Maps today and noticed a ghost sign I haven’t noticed before. I’ve actually walked along those streets, on the corner of Dunlop right there but it didn’t catch my eye. Next time I’m out downtown I will have to get a photograph of this sign myself. This image is a screen capture from Google Maps.

Wrecky Rat Bird in Ghostly ASCII Figlet Font

Make a ghost figlet font in ASCII art for your own site.

Ghost Signs

Before billboards advertising (names of businesses most often rather than ads as we think of them now) was painted on the sides of buildings.

Now those old ads are ghost signs, faded, weathered and forgotten. But, if you watch for them, you will still find a ghost sign in a town or city near you.

Ghost Signs are Not Signs of Ghosts

Ghost signs are old painted advertising on the side of buildings. Usually weathered and aged, they can be almost unreadable. Some of them may be covered over with multiple painted ads and other new ads like billboards. Others disappear and are forgotten when new buildings are constructed and overlap the space.

Ghost signs are special because they are vintage advertising. Usually the original business, service or product are long gone out of business, moved or have become absorbed into bigger corporations. I like ghost signs. They’re a bit of nostalgia, like having a surprise visit from a time machine.

I’ve heard ghost signs called wall dogs, street type and brick ads too.

The photograph with this post is one of my own. I took it this past weekend during a drive around Ontario, in the area of Niagara Falls. Ghost signs aren’t so hard to find if you keep an eye open while driving through a small town, or just about any size of settlement/ community. I seem to find them easier in small towns. Maybe because there is less construction, less chance the old buildings will be knocked down for the sake of progress.

Ghost signs are a bit of our history, faded but still around. But sign painting is fading away as a profession. Modern signs are created with different materials and posted on billboards.

Resources for Ghost Sign Explorers

The Train Not Taken

Originally posted: November 17, 2006

He was on the train again. The guy with a shaved head, charcoal grey suit this time and a red silky looking scarf. No hat, he never wore a hat no matter how much it snowed or rained. I always watched him, shy, from my seat. Sometimes he noticed me, sometimes he didn’t.

I hadn’t seen him this past week. One whole week of commuting without seeing him. I had nearly cried on Friday night, thinking he must have moved or changed jobs and I would never have the chance to meet him now. I regretted not doing something, even something really dumb.

But, there he was back again. Same shaved head, same suit and that same smiley face. He was just one of those people who seemed to smile easily. Sometimes he had conversations with the people around his seat. He laughed easily too and it was a laugh that made me smile, even on the hardest days when I felt worn down to a stub of myself.

I had to meet him tonight, finally. I couldn’t let another day pass by. Maybe he had moved and today was one last trip on the old commuter train. My palms were slick and my stomach in knots but I just had to do something this time.

I knew I looked ok, not one of my better days for looks but it wasn’t too bad. Hopefully I didn’t get too wind blown while I was waiting at my stop for the train. I couldn’t quite dare reach up to pat my hair, he might look over at just that moment. Continue reading →

Seeking Ghost Hunter

            Here's another ad for a ghost hunter in Ontario.

Haunt ad

What Halton Paranormal Group is looking for in a ghost hunter:

• Technically inclined: The team works with lots of equipment including video cameras, still cameras, voice recorders and K2 meters. The ideal candidate would need to be comfortable working with this equipment and the footage they collect.

• Fearless: Halton Paranormal’s investigations are conducted at night, often in abandoned buildings with no electricity or light sources. If you’re afraid of the dark, creepy buildings or unexplained noises, you need not apply.

• Quiet: A lot of the investigation requires sitting for long periods listening and observing. A quiet, still individual would be well suited for ghost hunting.

• Trustworthy: Ghost hunting requires trust between all the team members so they can accurately gauge their observations and experiences while investigating a potentially haunted area.

• Belief in ghosts: Not necessary. The group always tries to debunk its findings.

via Toronto-area paranormal investigators seek ghost hunter – thestar.com.

Get Some Inspiration from Jeannie in a Bottle

            <a href="http://jeannieinabottle.hubpages.com/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-7307" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="jeannieinabottle" src="http://wordgrrls.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/jeannieinabottle.png" alt="" width="298" height="140" />Jeannie in a Bottle</a> writes posts with a unique slant:

How to Hunt for Ghosts at the Office During your Downtime

How to Perform an Exorcism in your Spare Time

10 Signs you are Living in a Haunted House

A Bumbling Idiot’s Guide to Ghost Hunting

How to Battle the Closet Monster

Let’s Put an End to Zombie Prejudice

This is just a list of her posts with a paranormal slant. There are 270 posts, written in 16 months, on her HubPages account. That’s prolific!