Faded and decaying shop signs remind us of a time gone by. Often painted on brickwork, these ghost signs are found in cities and towns throughout the world – but many of us don’t even notice them.

Emma Clarke picked up on Dublin’s fading signs as she walked around the city observing changes to the urban landscape. Originally from Cork, she’s been photographing old signs in Dublin and publishing the pictures through her blog and the account @DublinGhostSigns since she moved there a decade ago.

“I’m fascinated by how the city changes and evolves around us,” she says. “Often, we don’t tend to notice the traces of the past which are hidden in plain sight, high up on walls or below eye level at our feet. It’s only when these signs disappear that we realise they were part of the city’s fabric.”

Ghost signs remind Clarke of a different Dublin, one with streets of brushmakers, dairies and victuallers. “The old signs provide a contrast to today’s convenience stores and fast food outlets. There is a curiosity among Dubliners about the businesses that once were.”

Her blog is a way to preserve elements of Dublin’s history, she says. “Dublin is dynamic and it changes rapidly. After years of post-‘Celtic Tiger’ building inactivity, there is a lot of construction happening in Dublin again. As a result, old signs and shopfronts are being uncovered – and often re-covered within hours,” she says.

“More often than not, the building, signage or shopfront disappears and a quickly snapped photo might be all that remains to provide that link to the past.”

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