Last Sunday, I spent the afternoon in Troy photographing as many ghost signs as I could. Apparently there’s several of them along the waterfront, and I never previously noticed them.
Caught this one with my Agfa Chief camera and GAF Aerographic film. I’m still fiddling about with this aeographic film, and I’ve already learned something while shooting this edifice.
DO NOT USE THIS FILM ON A CLOUDY DAY.
Yeah, I know my first batch of aerographic film was shot in sunshine, but hey I have to experiment with this stuff, right? And so… I tried taking some pictures on an overcast day. The Agfa Chief has only one f-stop, so I just pressed the shutter button and hoped something nice would come out.
I did get something… but even to get this image, I had to play around with some digital editing post-shot.
Still, it’s an attempt. One step forward, one set of notes in the photographic journal. And maybe, when winter hits and that tree in front of the ghost sign loses its foliage, and if I get there on a sunny winter afternoon…
There will be a better autographic picture taken that day. For sure.
Via Flickr:
Photo of Whitehurst Printing and Binding Co. ghost sign in Troy, N.Y. Shot with Agfa Chief camera, GAF Aerographic film (expiration 1976). Photo by Chuck Miller.
Chuck The Writer 
I’m glad youre documenting our history. All 3 area cities are rich in history and, alas, too much of it is gone. “Tear it down and to hell with history!” We did that years ago w/the old Pruyn Library, roughly where the parking garage for Capital Rep is now–it engendered Historic Albany. Rocky’s Wrecking Ball ruined so much of Albany. Or we wait till the bldgs fall down then have no choice but to demolish them. A pictorial history is better than nothing at all.
I know nothing of the technical end of your process. My photographic experience is limited to the old Kodak Instamatics and mercifully, my slide documentation of myriad vacations was deep sixed eons ago. My sister was the family photographer & we were grateful for the pictures she had of my brother in law. We were able to have a montage put together for his wake & the reception after his funeral. I’m a musician. I leave it to photographers to do their thing! I hope you continue to document, Chuck, however imperfectly. Many of the “ghost signs” are of entities I remember or remember my parents & grandmother talking about. (Both my grandmother & Aunt Julia worked for BT Babbit. My mom worked for Sterling Winthrop years before I was born. My sister worked in Sherry’s & mom worked in the original Walgreen roughly where the Ten Eyck bldg is on North Pearl. I regret I never bought some pictures the guy at Crossgates had for sale. I only hope whatever inventory remained found a good home. I don’t think anyone in 3013 will be oohing & ahing over pictures of the Empire State Plaza, “One Commerce Plaza” or even the Times Union Center. (If you or anyone has pictures of what we simply called The Market on Beaver St where the TUC is now please post them! I have many wonderful memories of going with Grandma to the Market on Saturday, listening to her ahggle over prices, etc., often bringing home a few live chickens. They lived in her backyard till she butchered to them & they ran around like, well, “Chickens with their heads cut off!!!!”
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You would be better off taking a picture of the white Hearst building.
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Haul your gear up to the top floor/loft of the old bookstore that is for sale across from the SUNY Admin bldg. on Broadway. There is a unfaded ghost sign on the brick wall that was covered by this addition. It is like it was painted yesterday.
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