The name "ghost sign" has been given to old advertising signs and writing on buildings. Often these have been protected from greater deterioration by new signs being fixed over them. Others have been preserved by the building having been painted, the removal of that layer revealing what was underneath.
In many cases the ghost writing is preserved intact as an interesting artefact of earlier days, something that indicates the history of the building. Quite often the the signs are sympathetically restored, with matching paint carefully tracing the letters, ornament and pictures to show the work as it was when first put in place.
That looks to be what has happened with the florid writing and ornament on the small building in Bardney, Lincolnshire.It was made to fit the gable end of the modest building and proclaims the main and subsidiary business of this, presumably long-gone company. Reading the sign I was somewhat surprised to find appended to the list of flour, cake and corn "All Kinds of Offals". If "offal" then meant what offal means now it doesn't seem to be a terribly good fit with the rest of the business. Rather like the new uPVC door and window that have replaced the originals on the facade.
photograph and text © Tony Boughen
Photo Title: Ghost Sign, Bardney, Lincolnshire
Camera: Sony RX10
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 10.4mm (28mm - 35mm equiv.) crop
F No: f5
Shutter Speed: 1/1250 sec
ISO:125
Exposure Compensation: -0.7 EV
Image Stabilisation: On
