Royal Blue Shoes
Nephi, UT Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Check out this ghost signage on the wall of this building in Nephi, Utah. The Chas. Foote & Sons building features Royal Blue Shoes here.
The old shoe advertisement is the standout on this wall. Even with the fading paint, the lettering and shoe graphics are still visible enough to give the building plenty of character.
Signs like this are a great reminder of the days when general stores advertised national brands right on the sides of their buildings. Royal Blue Shoes may no longer be a household name, but this old painted sign keeps a little piece of that retail history alive.
UPDATE: The Royal Blue Shoes ghost sign appears to still survive on the side of the historic Nephi building. The Chas. Foote & Sons business is long gone, but the painted advertisement remains visible as one of the town's surviving wall signs. 06-26
Mobil Gas
Boise, ID Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Check out this old ghost sign in Boise, Idaho. The most noticeable lettering appears to advertise Mobilgas, although several layers of older paint can be seen beneath and around it. Another faded advertisement on the wall references a steel-related business, creating an interesting mix of commercial history on a single building.
Walls like this often changed with the times as businesses came and went. Rather than repainting an entire building, new advertisements were frequently painted directly over older ones. As the paint weathered away over the decades, pieces of multiple generations of signage began to reappear.
The result is a fascinating glimpse into Boise's past, where traces of the automotive industry and local commerce can still be found hiding in plain sight on the side of an old brick building. 08-06
UPDATE: The building remains standing in downtown Boise, and the layered ghost signs may still be visible. While the businesses advertised on the wall have long since disappeared, the faded paint continues to tell part of the story of the city's commercial past. 06-26
Mountaineer Overalls
Virginia, ID Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Here's advertising for Mountaineer Overalls on a weathered building in Virginia, Idaho. Even after decades of exposure to the elements, the painted lettering remains visible enough to catch the eye of anyone passing through this quiet community.
The sign promotes Mountaineer Overalls, a workwear brand once produced by ZCMI, the famed Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution based in Utah. Built for farmers, ranchers, railroad workers, and miners, these rugged garments were marketed throughout the Intermountain West. The advertisement also touts the company's "Stop Loss Pockets," a feature designed to help keep tools and personal items from slipping out while on the job.
Today, the fading mural serves as a reminder of an era when painted wall advertisements were a common sight across small towns and rural highways. While the business that once occupied this building is long gone, the sign continues to preserve a piece of the region's commercial history. 08-06
UPDATE: The building remains standing in Virginia, and the Mountaineer Overalls ghost sign is still visible on the exterior wall. Its isolated location has helped preserve one of southeastern Idaho's more distinctive surviving advertisements from the early days of Western workwear. 06-26
Kodak
Boise, ID Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
This ghost sign in Boise advertises both an old drug store and Kodak Film. Back when film photography was king, the local drug store was often the place to buy film, drop off your rolls, and pick up your prints a few days later.
The faded lettering is a reminder of those days. While the drug store is long gone, the sign still provides a glimpse into a time when Kodak products could be found just about everywhere. For travelers and photographers alike, film was simply part of everyday life. 08-06
UPDATE: The building remains standing in downtown Boise and has been repurposed for modern commercial use. The current status of the Kodak ghost sign could not be verified. 06-26
Baseball Cigar Store
Pocatello, ID Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
This old ghost sign for the Baseball Cigar Store still endures in Pocatello. The wall also says, "Sweet's Salt Lake Chocolates are always appreciated."
The layered lettering is what makes this one interesting. You can see pieces of different advertisements sharing the same brick wall, almost like the building is holding onto more than one story at once. Signs like this are a great reminder of the old downtown businesses that once filled these streets. Cigars and chocolates may seem like an unusual combination today, but both were clearly worth advertising in big painted letters back in the day. 09-06
UPDATE: The Baseball Cigar Store is long gone, but the historic building remains standing in downtown Pocatello. The painted ghost signs for the cigar store and Sweet's chocolates still survive on the brick wall. 06-26
Lee Riders
Logan, UT Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Check out the ghost sign on the side of this clothing store. This store used to feature Lee Riders, advertised here as "authentic cowboy pants."
The old Lee Riders lettering gives the building a great western feel. Back when this sign was painted, cowboy pants were not just a fashion statement. They were work clothes built for ranchers, rodeo riders, and anyone else who needed something rugged enough to hold up.
The faded advertisement is a nice reminder of when clothing stores promoted their brands right on the side of the building. Lee Riders may still be around in one form or another, but this old wall sign belongs to a different era of downtown retail. 09-06
UPDATE: The building remains part of Logan's historic downtown district. The Lee Riders ghost sign may still be visible today, though its current condition could not be verified. 06-26
Daynes Jewelry Co.
Salt Lake City, UT Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
This old painted advertisement for Daynes Jewelry Co. covers nearly the entire side of a historic downtown Salt Lake City building. Even from a distance, it's hard to miss the giant lettering promoting "Daynes Jewelry Established 1862 Diamonds Watches."
The sign is painted on the side of the Daft Block, one of Salt Lake City's best-known late-1800s commercial buildings. Constructed between 1887 and 1889 for businesswoman Sarah A. Daft, the building later became home to the Daynes family jewelry business after they purchased it in 1908. The company traced its roots back to pioneer jeweler and watchmaker John Daynes, who arrived in Utah in 1862 and eventually became known as Brigham Young's personal watchmaker.
Like many painted wall advertisements from the early automobile era, this one managed to outlive the business it promoted. While countless signs disappeared under new construction, paint, and demolition, this one remained in place and became part of the building's history. Today it serves as a reminder of a time when businesses advertised on brick walls instead of digital screens. The building itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of the architectural highlights of downtown Salt Lake City. 09-06
UPDATE: The former Daynes Jewelry building remains standing and in active use as a commercial property in downtown Salt Lake City. The large painted Daynes Jewelry advertisement still survives on the side of the building and remains one of the city's most recognizable ghost signs. 06-26
Royal Blue Shoes
Mobil Gas
Mountaineer Overalls
Kodak
Baseball Cigar Store
Lee Riders
Daynes Jewelry Co.
