san francisco sign — San Francisco Ghost Sign Mapping Project

Secret Signs at 641 O'Farrell / March 1, 2022 by Kasey Smith

I’ve been doing some research on the OpenSFHistory site, cross referencing their pics with my map to see how many of these signs can be traced through the historic photographic record of the city. Specifically, I’ve been looking at their Vista Views Map which features, as the name suggests, big sweeping photos of the city at large. My goal - to find an image, or images for my book that really show the scope of earthquake devastation and help explain the uneven nature of recovery in the Tenderloin. Basically, a visual origin point that explains in one fell pixelated swoop how we ended up with so many secret signs hidden on the backs and sides of buildings.

And I did!

Secret Signs at 555 Eddy - Coca Cola and Tree Trre / February 9, 2022 by Kasey Smith

In an earlier post I discussed the secret ghost signs of San Francisco - those quirks of geography or post earthquake development that are best viewed using Google Earth or similar satellite mapping software. It turns out that much like the ghost sign map in general, my understanding of San Francisco’s secret ghost signs is also evolving because I’ve recently found more of them. Not only did I find a potential Omar Cigarettes sign on 825 Bush, but I’ve found some equally interesting secret signs on 555 Eddy.