Fading murals and old brick ads: hunting for ‘ghost signs’ in uptown Saint John

News Snapshot:

The next time you're walking around uptown Saint John, don't forget to look up. Hidden in obscure alleyways and side-streets are traces of centuries of history. Ghost signs are the fading remains of hand-painted advertising murals popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Businesses would also frequently etch their names on the bricks themselves. In New Brunswick, these relics are "not very common at all outside Saint John," said art historian John Leroux, manager of collections and exhibitions at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. "It's another reminder of how fascinating and precious architecture in Saint John is." WATCH...