Photo essay: Ghost Signs of CLE

Bob Perkoski Thursday, May 04, 2023
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In virtually every town in America, on rural roads, and big cities, old, hand-painted advertisements promoting everything from Coca Cola and Paramount Vodka to Mail Pouch Tobacco still exist. While they may be faded, or even illegible, they grab our attention.

These signs are relics of 19th and early 20th Centuries—in a time before modern billboards and neon lights—painted by walldogs who are long gone.

FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski shared some of his favorite ghost murals he’s found in Cleveland, as we launch this new series, Ghost Signs of CLE.

Have your own collection of local ghost signs you’d like to share? Let us know!
Bob Perkoski
Bob Perkoski

About the Author: Bob Perkoski

Bob is managing photographer with FreshWater as well as a Cleveland freelance photographer. His photographic approach is rooted in the art of storytelling. Whether freezing the energy of an event, encapsulating the magic of a performance, or astutely anticipating the decisive moments, his work displays an innate ability to distill the essence of any scene or subject into a single frame or series of work. In addition, Bob is the official photographer for LAND studio and Holden Forest and Gardens and has worked with various Cleveland organizations. In 2019 he published a book of his photos Rust Belt Burlesque. He's had work published in other books like LGBTQ Cleveland by Ken Schneck, Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology, Rust Belt Chic: The Pittsburgh Anthology and Moon Cleveland by Douglas Trattner. Previously he was co-founder/art director for Balanced Living Magazine. You can view his versatile portfolio of work, which includes news coverage, portraiture, architectural and fine art at Perkoski Photography. Originally from Conneaut, Ohio, Perkoski now lives close to the city in Parma. He has been Fresh Water's managing photographer since the publication's September 2010 inception.

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