Ghost signs and a long lost past.

I have walked by this sign countless times. I was aware of it, but had never really stopped to truly notice it. This time, I took a picture.

This "ghost sign" for Southern Furniture Co. decorates the side of a building on King Street. Painted on murals were common at one time, but many have since faded away from buildings. I love the look of a faded advertisement like this one, but I know that if nothing is done to maintain, restore, or preserve the painting, it will soon disappear completely. The sign reminded me of this article published by the Salisbury Post, discussing the preservation efforts taken to revive the fading murals of Salisbury. In a world of digital media, iPhones, and overwhelmingly instant technology, these old painted advertisements remind me of simpler days. They hold a romanticized nostalgia of a past I never experienced: when billboards were painted not printed, when locally owned stores sold quality products made in America, and when Coca-Cola only cost five cents.