The Sign Painters of New Orleans

Hand-painted signs signalling the presence of funeral homes, salons, car washes, churches, cemeteries, grocery stores, bars, and restaurants can be found all over New Orleans. They’re painted in a variety of colors, sometimes on a piece of plywood fastened to the building, but most often painted directly onto its window or siding. The writing alternates between cursive and block lettering—sometimes on the same sign—and looks naive and homespun.

Collectively, hand-painted signs are a hallmark of the city’s culture, a visual evocation of the famous New Orleans spirit and charm: They’re improvisational, a little weird, unapologetically imperfect, boldly colorful and made largely by hand. These signs are part of an ages-old tradition kept alive today by a handful of mostly older solo black artists. In a digital age where computer-assisted signage is easily accessible and efficient, they may also be anachronistic.