BLAG 01 - Magazine - Page 5
Ghost Sign Corner
SPAIN
Holland-America Line, Santander
Left: the retouched ghost
sign at the corner of
Carrer Hernán Cortés
and Carrer las Infantas
in Santander, Spain.
Below: the sign before
its 2017 retouching.
This sign dates from the early twentieth century
and advertised the Dutch shipping company
Holland-America Line, which is still trading
today. It promoted the firm’s routes between the
Netherlands and the Americas, which also picked
up passengers and cargo in various European
ports—including Santander, Spain, where the
sign is located. The name of the local agent,
shipping magnate Francisco Garcia, is also on the
sign, which is positioned on a curved wall to take
advantage of its corner location.
Photos and research:
Federico Barrera Garaña / @santatipo
Translation: Sam Roberts / @mrghostsigns
In 2017, work was carried out to bring back
elements of the sign that had decayed significantly.
This was done by the Escuela Taller, a local youth
training and employment programme.
In homage to the sign, Federico Barrera Garaña
recreated the design and has made it available as a
free download from his santatipo.es website. It also
features in his book, Santatipo, alongside a wider
study of Santander’s sign and graphic heritage.
Issue 01
05
