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Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
2 days ago
A four-story brick industrial building rises against a flat grey sky, its facade bearing the faded painted legend: BAKER MFG. CO. — Monitor — WINDMILLS & ENGINES. The cursive Monitor script anchors the sign like a signature — proud once, now dissolving into the brick. Below, a loading dock with a corrugated metal awning shelters a boarded overhead door, on which someone has drawn a small, incongruous smiley face in spray paint. Bare winter branches reach up from the weeds at the base. Every window is dark, each pane a closed eye.

A four-story brick industrial building rises against a flat grey sky, its facade bearing the faded painted legend: BAKER MFG. CO. — Monitor — WINDMILLS & ENGINES. The cursive Monitor script anchors the sign like a signature — proud once, now dissolving into the brick. Below, a loading dock with a corrugated metal awning shelters a boarded overhead door, on which someone has drawn a small, incongruous smiley face in spray paint. Bare winter branches reach up from the weeds at the base. Every window is dark, each pane a closed eye.

The ghost sign still speaks, though no one’s listening. (Fort Dodge, MAR 2026)

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

#Ricoh #RicohGR #GhostSign #GhostSigns #GhostSignProject #FortDodge #Iowa #IndustrialDecay #AbandonedMidwest #BakerMfg #MonitorWindmills #ClassicMono #BlackAndWhitePhotography #WallsOnWednesday

48 1 1 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
2 weeks ago
A figure stands small against the weathered brick facade of a three-story commercial building, its ghost sign faintly reading “…S AND TRACTOR” and “…Y McDONALD” — remnants of a long-gone farm equipment dealer. The crisp winter light and deep blue sky amplify the contrast between the building’s worn history and the quiet stillness of the street below.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A figure stands small against the weathered brick facade of a three-story commercial building, its ghost sign faintly reading “…S AND TRACTOR” and “…Y McDONALD” — remnants of a long-gone farm equipment dealer. The crisp winter light and deep blue sky amplify the contrast between the building’s worn history and the quiet stillness of the street below.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Building Remembers (Sioux Falls, Mar 2025)

Join the #BlueSkyArtShow
Saturday March 14, 2026
The theme is #Horizontal

📷 Nikon Zf
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

#Nikon #NikonZf
#photography #streetart #urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Urbanphotography #urbex
#humansofbluesky

71 2 0 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
2 months ago
Painted letters cling to brick like a promise made when travel was slower and rooms were earned by the mile. Hotel Slade still announces itself—once in fading paint, once in metal—while its windows look past the present, holding the quiet dignity of a place that outlived its purpose. A parked truck, a bare tree, a winter street: time moves on, but the name stays, insisting that what was here still matters.

Painted letters cling to brick like a promise made when travel was slower and rooms were earned by the mile. Hotel Slade still announces itself—once in fading paint, once in metal—while its windows look past the present, holding the quiet dignity of a place that outlived its purpose. A parked truck, a bare tree, a winter street: time moves on, but the name stays, insisting that what was here still matters.

The Hotel That Kept Its Name (Adrian, MN; MAR 2025) Built in 1891 and originally owned by the Slade family.

📷 Nikon Zf B&W mode
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekEforEponymous

#Nikon #NikonZf #ClassicMono #B&W #photography
#streetphotography #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject

116 5 3 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
2 months ago
A weathered Coca-Cola ghost sign stretches across brick like a fading promise—Delicious and Refreshing still whispering through chipped paint and sun-bleached letters. Once a universal price, the nickel lingers as a relic of abundance, reminding the street how value, time, and taste all erode, leaving memory stubbornly intact.

A weathered Coca-Cola ghost sign stretches across brick like a fading promise—Delicious and Refreshing still whispering through chipped paint and sun-bleached letters. Once a universal price, the nickel lingers as a relic of abundance, reminding the street how value, time, and taste all erode, leaving memory stubbornly intact.

Five Cents Everywhere (Mankato, Jul 2025)

📷 Nikon Zf B&W mode
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

Join the #BlueSkyArtShow
Saturday January 10, 2026
The theme is #Vibrant

#urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Nikon #NikonZf #photogrsphy #Mankato #Minnesota #summer

105 7 2 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
3 months ago
A weathered Crystal Sugar ghost sign lingers on a warehouse wall, its promise fading into winter light. Snow and silence frame the message, where industry once spoke boldly and now whispers through brick and paint.

A weathered Crystal Sugar ghost sign lingers on a warehouse wall, its promise fading into winter light. Snow and silence frame the message, where industry once spoke boldly and now whispers through brick and paint.

You’ll Like the Magic: (Mason City Dec 2025)

#themesweek
#AlphabetChallenge

GForGhostSign
VForVintageSign

📷 Pentax K3 Mk III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm F/2.8

#urbangaze #ghostsign #WallsOnWednesday #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Pentax #K3MkIIIMono #ClassicMono #B&W #MasonCity #Iowa

89 4 1 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
3 months ago
A century-old brick wall holds the last whispers of a warehouse past, its ghost sign—BEKINS VAN & STORAGE CO.—bleached soft by sun, storms, and time. The painted letters hover like half-remembered instructions, drifting between legibility and loss. Newer windows puncture the façade, anchoring the present, while the old advertisement lingers as a pale echo of industry, a quiet testament to what once moved through this tall, stoic building.

A century-old brick wall holds the last whispers of a warehouse past, its ghost sign—BEKINS VAN & STORAGE CO.—bleached soft by sun, storms, and time. The painted letters hover like half-remembered instructions, drifting between legibility and loss. Newer windows puncture the façade, anchoring the present, while the old advertisement lingers as a pale echo of industry, a quiet testament to what once moved through this tall, stoic building.

Beneath the Fading Letter : From the ghost sign photo walk (Sioux City, Nov 2025)

📷 Pentax K3 Mk III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm F/2.8

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekWforWindows

#urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Pentax #K3MkIIIMono #ClassicMono #BnW #B&W #SiouxCity #Iowa

146 9 3 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
4 months ago
On the sun-worn brick of a narrow downtown corner, a faded “IN SHOP” drifts up from the past like a voice that forgot it was supposed to disappear. The alley beside it folds into shadow, a thin passage between eras, while the renovated window and the parked truck anchor the scene firmly in the present. It’s a quiet collision of time—old stone, old paint, new gloss—holding still in the morning light.

On the sun-worn brick of a narrow downtown corner, a faded “IN SHOP” drifts up from the past like a voice that forgot it was supposed to disappear. The alley beside it folds into shadow, a thin passage between eras, while the renovated window and the parked truck anchor the scene firmly in the present. It’s a quiet collision of time—old stone, old paint, new gloss—holding still in the morning light.

Ghost Letters at the Corner:
“In Shop” Ghost Sign (Sioux City, Nov 2025)

📷 Pentax K3 Mk III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm F/2.8

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekVForVowels

#urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Pentax #K3MkIIIMono #ClassicMono #BnW #B&W #SiouxCity #Iowa

164 10 2 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
4 months ago
A nearly vanished ghost sign clings to the sun-scoured brick, its faded letters—Sioux City’s Best · Hotel West—barely surfacing through decades of weather and neglect. The worn frame of paint resembles an old postcard left in the rain, a memory dissolving but refusing to disappear. Surrounded by stark modern buildings, the relic feels like a quiet survivor from another era, a soft reminder that cities are built as much from what’s been forgotten as what remains.

A nearly vanished ghost sign clings to the sun-scoured brick, its faded letters—Sioux City’s Best · Hotel West—barely surfacing through decades of weather and neglect. The worn frame of paint resembles an old postcard left in the rain, a memory dissolving but refusing to disappear. Surrounded by stark modern buildings, the relic feels like a quiet survivor from another era, a soft reminder that cities are built as much from what’s been forgotten as what remains.

Where Letters Weather Away: From a ghost sign photowalk (Sioux City, Nov 2025)

📷 Pentax K3 Mk III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm F/2.8

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekUforUnloved

#signsonSunday #urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Pentax #K3MkIIIMono #ClassicMono #BnW #B&W #SiouxCity #Iowa

132 5 3 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
4 months ago
A weather-worn ghost sign clings to the brick face of an old commercial building, its faded promise of “Dry Goods” barely decipherable through decades of sun, wind, and quiet neglect. The monochrome tones emphasize the building’s age—cracked mortar, softened paint, and the long shadows cast by arched windows. It’s a fragment of a bygone merchant era, still whispering its name into the modern sky.

A weather-worn ghost sign clings to the brick face of an old commercial building, its faded promise of “Dry Goods” barely decipherable through decades of sun, wind, and quiet neglect. The monochrome tones emphasize the building’s age—cracked mortar, softened paint, and the long shadows cast by arched windows. It’s a fragment of a bygone merchant era, still whispering its name into the modern sky.

Merchants Lost to Time: Aalfs Ghost Sign (Sioux City, Nov 2025)

📷 Pentax K3 Mk III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm F/2.8

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekUforUnloved

#urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Pentax #K3MkIIIMono #ClassicMono #BnW #B&W #SiouxCity #Iowa

130 7 2 2
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
4 months ago
A weathered ghost sign clings to the side of a brick building, its once-bold lettering now softened by decades of sunlight and rain. The name “Wigdahl Hardware” still stands proud amid the peeling paint, a relic of an era when small-town stores supplied plumbing, heating, and sporting goods to the community. The monochrome tones emphasize the texture of the bricks and the graceful decay of hand-painted craftsmanship, preserving the quiet dignity of a bygone business.

A weathered ghost sign clings to the side of a brick building, its once-bold lettering now softened by decades of sunlight and rain. The name “Wigdahl Hardware” still stands proud amid the peeling paint, a relic of an era when small-town stores supplied plumbing, heating, and sporting goods to the community. The monochrome tones emphasize the texture of the bricks and the graceful decay of hand-painted craftsmanship, preserving the quiet dignity of a bygone business.

Faded Hardware Heritage : Old ghost sign of long closed business in Ruthven

📷 Nikon Zf B&W mode
🔘 Pentax 55mm f/1.8 Super-Takumar M42 using Urth Adapter

#Ruthven #Iowa #RuralGaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Nikon
#photography #NikonZf
#SuperTakumar #Urth #ClassicMono #b&w

136 4 1 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
5 months ago
A weathered ghost sign for “Wigdahl Hardware” clings to the side of an old brick building, its once-bold lettering now softened and scarred by years of sun and rain. Shot on film, the grain and monochrome tones emphasize the age and endurance of both paint and place—a quiet tribute to a vanished era of small-town commerce and craftsmanship.

A weathered ghost sign for “Wigdahl Hardware” clings to the side of an old brick building, its once-bold lettering now softened and scarred by years of sun and rain. Shot on film, the grain and monochrome tones emphasize the age and endurance of both paint and place—a quiet tribute to a vanished era of small-town commerce and craftsmanship.

Faded Trade of Time : Downtown ghost sign in Emmetsburg at the corner of Broadway and Main

📷 Pentax 17
🎞️ Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 II

#ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject
#photography #believeinfilm #filmisnotdead #B&W #ClassicMono #Pentax #Pentax17 #NeopanAcros

181 11 0 1
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
5 months ago
A worn circle of lettering emerges faintly through the white paint — the lingering trace of an old Beer advertisement. Decades of sun, weather, and being painted over have nearly erased it, leaving only the ghostly outline of the familiar script barely visible beside the newer signage. The wall holds both past and present in a quiet, faded balance.

A worn circle of lettering emerges faintly through the white paint — the lingering trace of an old Beer advertisement. Decades of sun, weather, and being painted over have nearly erased it, leaving only the ghostly outline of the familiar script barely visible beside the newer signage. The wall holds both past and present in a quiet, faded balance.

On Tap from Another Era (Minnesota, Oct 2025) Look like this coffee shop was once a bar.

📷 Ricoh GR III

#Ricoh #RicohGRIII #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #urbex #photography

108 1 1 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
6 months ago
The image depicts a weathered brick wall featuring several faded advertisements painted on its surface. The most prominent advertisement is for Coca-Cola, with the brand name repeated multiple times in large, stylized lettering. Other visible ads include one for “Vehicles” and another promoting “Borax Soap,” which claims to brighten whites and colors. The text is partially worn and chipped, indicating the ads are old. The image is in black and white, adding to the vintage feel, and a tree is visible on the right side, suggesting an outdoor urban setting.

The image depicts a weathered brick wall featuring several faded advertisements painted on its surface. The most prominent advertisement is for Coca-Cola, with the brand name repeated multiple times in large, stylized lettering. Other visible ads include one for “Vehicles” and another promoting “Borax Soap,” which claims to brighten whites and colors. The text is partially worn and chipped, indicating the ads are old. The image is in black and white, adding to the vintage feel, and a tree is visible on the right side, suggesting an outdoor urban setting.

From Borax to Coca-Cola (Fort Dodge, SEP 2025)

Ghost Signs on the side of what is currently Crave Tattoo

📷 Nikon Zf B&W mode
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

#urbangaxe #Nikon #NikonZf
#photography #streetart #urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Urbanphotography #urbex

147 11 2 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
6 months ago
A black-and-white photograph of a weathered brick building, its faded ghost sign still faintly declaring “OFFICE SUPPLIES OF ALL KINDS.” Rows of old windows, some darkened and some reflecting light, stretch along the side of the structure, hinting at its past life of industry and commerce. The alleyway framing adds a sense of solitude and forgotten history, where the quiet of the present meets the whispers of what once was.

A black-and-white photograph of a weathered brick building, its faded ghost sign still faintly declaring “OFFICE SUPPLIES OF ALL KINDS.” Rows of old windows, some darkened and some reflecting light, stretch along the side of the structure, hinting at its past life of industry and commerce. The alleyway framing adds a sense of solitude and forgotten history, where the quiet of the present meets the whispers of what once was.

Echoes on Brick Walls : Faded vintage corporate tag

📷 Nikon Zf B&W mode
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

Join the #AlphabetChallenge
The theme is #WeekLForLines

#tagtuesday #Nikon #NikonZf
#photography #streetart #urbangaze #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Urbanphotography #urbex

142 4 3 2
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
10 months ago
The ground level of this 100+ year old building has been converted into a series of shops.

The ground level of this 100+ year old building has been converted into a series of shops.

The painted name of the building has become a ghost sign.

The painted name of the building has become a ghost sign.

The signage on the side of The Kellogg Hotel, a 1917 boarding house, has faded with time becoming a ghost sign.

The signage on the side of The Kellogg Hotel, a 1917 boarding house, has faded with time becoming a ghost sign.

Downtown History (Omaha, Apr 2024)

The Kellogg Hotel (1917): Originally a boarding house for young men.

📷 Nikon Zf
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

#urbangaze #Omaha #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #Historic #architecture #photographerofbluesky #photography #streetphotography #Nikon
#NikonZf

118 3 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
10 months ago
The ghost sign of Wigdahl Hardware in Ruthven.

The ghost sign of Wigdahl Hardware in Ruthven.

Witness the passage of time and the feel of the aged brick.

Today’s #BlueSkyArtShow theme is #Texture

📷 Pentax K3 III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm F/2.8

#photographerofbluesky #brick #photography #classicmono #monochrome #blackandwhite #Pentax #K3IIIMono #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject

233 8 4 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
11 months ago
Britt, Iowa and the long since defunct Britt Creamery Association. Save the signage of old.

Britt, Iowa and the long since defunct Britt Creamery Association. Save the signage of old.

Britt, Iowa and ghost sign outside of a closed business telling the public of Sales and Service that can no longer be obtained.

Britt, Iowa and ghost sign outside of a closed business telling the public of Sales and Service that can no longer be obtained.

Clarion Theater in Clarion, Iowa that is still functioning as a theater.

Clarion Theater in Clarion, Iowa that is still functioning as a theater.

Humboldt, IA and the Humota Theater. It is currently showing vintage movies on the weekend.

Humboldt, IA and the Humota Theater. It is currently showing vintage movies on the weekend.

A couple hours of driving got me two vintage theaters and two ghost signs. I visited Britt, Clarion, and Humboldt in Iowa.

📷 Nikon Zf
🔘 Nikon 24-70mm f/2.4

#iowa #theater #ghostsign #vintagetheater #ghostsigns #GhostSignProject #Nikon #NikonZf #photography #photographerofbluesky

58 1 1 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
11 months ago
Wigdahl Hardware sign downtown. This is a ghost sign and has faded with time

Wigdahl Hardware sign downtown. This is a ghost sign and has faded with time

Old painted sign from when the building was a Ben Franklin 5¢ and dime. Another ghost sign.

Old painted sign from when the building was a Ben Franklin 5¢ and dime. Another ghost sign.

Old ghost sign where is paint has started to run. It’s from Robert’s Decorating which is a business from more than 20 years ago

Old ghost sign where is paint has started to run. It’s from Robert’s Decorating which is a business from more than 20 years ago

Ghost signs from an evening walk. This is all from downtown Emmetsburg, IA

📷 PENTAX K3 III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm

#photography #photo #Photography #Pentax #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #monochrome #blackandwhite #photographersofbluesky

48 1 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
11 months ago
Post image

Ghost sign in Windom, MN

📷 PENTAX K3 III Monochrome
🔘 Pentax 20-40mm

#photography #photo #Photography #Pentax #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #monochrome #blackandwhite #photographersofbluesky

36 2 0 0
George VanMeter
George VanMeter
@geovanmeter.bsky.social
1 year ago
Fade sign on a brick wall

Fade sign on a brick wall

Collection of signs in front of an closed gas station

Collection of signs in front of an closed gas station

Clock in front of a movie theater

Clock in front of a movie theater

Signs #photo #photography #nikon #nikonz5 #signs #ghostsigns #clocks #ghostsignproject #SouthDakota #Minnesota #movietheater

30 0 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image

Hotel Slade (Adrien, MN)

#ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #minnesota #smalltown #photo #photography #nikon #NikonZf

26 0 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image Post image Post image Post image

Ghost Signs (Sioux Falls : 22 MAR 2025)

#ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #siouxfalls #nikon #NikonZf #photo #photography

33 0 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image

Ghost Sign on grain silo north of Jackson, MN #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #silo #Historic #ricoh #RicohGR3 #photography

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Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image Post image

Ghost Sign in Canby, MN #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #vintage #beer #blatz #photography #rural #smalltown

26 0 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image Post image Post image Post image

Ghost Signs of Omaha #omaha #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #photography #advertsing #urbex #paint #nikon #nikonzf

26 0 0 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Ghost sign for the old hotel in Camorra, SK

Ghost sign for the old hotel in Camorra, SK

Ghost sign from downtown Saskatoon.

Ghost sign from downtown Saskatoon.

Ghost signs from Saskatchewan May 2023 #photography #vintagesigns #vintagesigns #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #paintedads #signonbuilding

28 2 1 0
Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
A worn and fading Barber 💈 Shop ghost sign.

A worn and fading Barber 💈 Shop ghost sign.

Post image

Ghost signs from Spencer, IA #photography #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #iowa #spencer #smalltown

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Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image

Ghost sign from an alley in Emmetsburg #ghostsign #ghostsigns #ghostsignproject #photography #vintage

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Steve Sick
Steve Sick
@starrytraveler.bsky.social
1 year ago
Ghost sign from Wigdahl Hardware (Emmetsburg, IA)

Ghost sign from Wigdahl Hardware (Emmetsburg, IA)

Ghost sign of Wigdahl Hardware (Ruthven, IA)

Ghost sign of Wigdahl Hardware (Ruthven, IA)

Old Wigdahl sign #photography #ghostsign #ghostsignproject

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