Fading London

Take a photographic journey into London’s often overlooked advertising history and see how the capital’s businesses of old made use of hand-painted signs to inform, advertise and appeal to consumers. This intriguing book profiles hand-painted advertising from across the city and investigates the companies that commissioned the signs that now appear faded – like ghosts – on the brickwork of buildings. It is a snapshot of a time that is almost forgotten but which lives on through the sometimes haunting presence of ghost signs on the city’s streets. Richly illustrated with 150 full-colour signs, this collection reveals the many varied industries and businesses of London’s past. Fading Ads of London is a must for all true local historians.