Celebrating Vintage Advertising Signs Painted on Brick Walls

I’ve long been fascinated with vintage advertising signs, documenting them before they vanish. As a clear writing proponent and former copywriter, I admire their concise messaging rendered in bold typography and clean designs. For me, they evoke a nostalgia for simpler times.

The 30 signs in this portfolio, photographed in Canada and the U.S., are all painted on brick walls. Clay bricks have a special connotation for me. Not only have I always lived in brick houses in Hamilton and Toronto, but I grew up listening to my mother’s stories about living in The Brickyard. My maternal grandparents with their four children emigrated from northern Italy to Canada in 1927. My grandfather found work at a factory making bricks and sewer pipes in Aldershot, Ontario. The family lived in a shack on the factory grounds aka The Brickyard.

As a child I loved playing with mini-bricks – those brown rubber pre-cursors to Legos. So, the images I’ve made of advertising signs painted on brick walls are layered with personal memories of times gone by. Signs of the Times is available from MagCloud – $10 a copy includes free digital version!

Featuring Marquee Signs

Whether it’s calling you to see a film or play, promising a delectable meal or an enticing experience, or offering the comfort of a bed for the night, Marquee signs beckon.

I’ve long been enchanted with these colourful entertainment, pleasure, and direction signs, documenting them before they vanish. I admire their concise messaging rendered in vibrant typography and cool designs. And more than a few of my favourite signs communicate without words, through dynamic stand-alone graphics.

You need to look up in the air, away from your cell phone, to see the 49 signs in this portfolio. They’re a mix of vintage and contemporary marquees that I’ve photographed over the years on my rambles around my hometown and in places I’ve visited on my travels. Signs of the Times 2 is available from Amazon for $14.99.

Eye Candy!

Some are 3-D, some neon, some posters, but all 53 of the vintage and contemporary signs in this, my third Signs of the Times Photo Art Portfolio, use dazzling colours and bold graphics to entice the viewer. Advertising everything from sewing machine repairs, car washes, and exotic dancers to hot dogs, ice cream, and beer, these eye-popping signs certainly grabbed my attention. Part of their appeal is that they are not only alluring, but also fun.

As an artist and writer, I find signs captivating. They appeal to both my visual and my verbal senses. Luckily, I come across them everywhere – in my Hamilton Ontario hometown, along country roads, and in cities and towns that I visit. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I’ve enjoyed making them! Signs of the Times 3 is available from Amazon for $14.99.

Check out my Signs of the Times Video