For my ever-growing series of Light Capsules, I apply projection mapping to old worn signs & painted ads to bring them back to what they originally looked like.
I've been infatuated with the types of ghostsigns that are known as palimpsests, meaning they contain more than one layer, exposed through normal weathering over time. This sign in Astoria, OR is a great example of a palimpsest. The top layer 'Astoria Sign Co' is seen quite clearly but hinted below are the words 'tailors' and ‘clothiers.'
An example of a palimpsest ghostsign, found in Grants Pass, OR.
Discovering this sign a year prior got me more curious about the historical detective aspect of the Light Capsules project, leading me to dive deeply into it as part of my residency.
Without further ado, here's the finished Light Capsule No.004 in Astoria, OR
followed by a ton of process.
This very distressed medallion proved to be very difficult to resolve.
The full process of bringing this ghost sign to life was shared live on Adobe's snapchat (@Adobe) over the course of 4 days. Sure, Snapchat stories are usually temporary... but I saved them all. Here's a giant edit of all four days!
Historical Research
Astoria Historical Society
Sanborn maps, city directories, and historical photographs all prove useful resources when finding information about past businesses.
Hidden layer "Carl Laine — Merchant Tailor" advertisement found in 1915 Astoria city directory. Second line ending in "NS" still to be determined.
Articles found in Astoria Public Library about Charles Dodge, former owner of Astoria Sign Company.
Carl Laine's obituary revealed the mysterious second line, "And Sons" which I collapsed to an ampersand based on spacing.
This palimpsest contains two signs, one for "Nyman-Judge, Inc —Buster Brown Shoes" and another for what appears to be "Athens Grocery"
Some parts of the sign are near impossible to separate layers by the naked eye alone.
Using Photoshop, selecting by color helps me isolate the yellow paint in the image to resolve Buster Brown Shoes.
Flattened image, stitched in Photoshop from multiple high-res images. See Carl Laine & Sons? It's elusive.
404 Commercial St later became 904 Commercial St when they doubled the numbers to accommodate city growth.
Read more about the process on Adobe Create.
Photoshop mockup made a few hours before the projection installation.
Huge thanks to Clatsop County Historical Society for their assistance & excitement.
