Light Capsules
Light Capsules is a worldwide historical restoration effort using augmented installations that reanimate faded advertisements, also known as ghost signs, and engage local communities around these fading artifacts.
Each Light Capsule involves research into the history of the wall — exploring the story of the business or the sign painter behind it. Next, we digitally trace our discoveries calling on our decades of experience in industrial design, type design, and hands-on training from sign painters to create an archival level of accuracy.
The best ghost sign candidates to become Light Capsules are incredibly worn or have multiple layers, also called palimpsests. These provide a compelling canvas that can bring focus to specific layers in time.
Employing projection for restoration is non-damaging and non-invasive. It provides a powerful preservation solution that traditional mediums of restoration cannot achieve. Using light as a medium, we can visually explore the stories of every layer, seeing how a building has changed throughout the years.
PERMANENT LIGHT CAPSULE INSTALLATIONS
004 — ASTORIA, OR
This ghost sign is intriguing with a hidden layer of secrets to uncover. Even with the naked eye, one can faintly discern words like "tailors" and "clothiers" amidst the faded letters forming the word "SIGNS." Intrigued by these subtle hints, further investigation led Craig Winslow to the 1930s Astoria City Directory at the Clatsop Historical Society, where he stumbled upon an advertisement featuring the name "Carl Laine & Sons" that fit perfectly within the worn paint fragments.
During Winslow's 2016 Adobe Creative Residency, news of the augmented restoration projection pop-up of this sign reached Carl Laine's grandson, Brian Laine. Laine reached out to Winslow and shared an extraordinary photograph and family information that shed light on the sign's history.
Throughout Winslow's research, the mystery surrounding the circular shape of the sign eluded him. Sanborn Maps indicated that a gas station once occupied the corner of the block, yet the remaining paint offered no trace of a gas station logo. A breakthrough came years later when a photograph from the Ball Studio Collection at the Clatsop County Historical Society was discovered and shared by Sara's Old Photos on Facebook. This rare 1960s view of Rocky's Shell Service Station unveiled the truth, confirmed Winslow's findings, and provided the clearest picture of the entire painted wall. Some mysteries persist, such as the unresolved nature of "Athens Grocery," where the letters fit but lack supporting references in research.
If you ever find yourself in Astoria, Oregon after sunset, don't miss the opportunity to view this permanent historical restoration on 9th Street, nestled between Commercial Street and Marine Drive. It stands as a testament to the rich layers of history waiting to be uncovered.
"My grandfather, Carl Laine, was a tailor. He immigrated from Finland around 1900 and settled in Astoria after spending a few years in Minnesota. My father, Victor Laine, had to learn English when he started school since Finnish was spoken at home. This picture shows Carl Laine at work - always impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit, even when he went crawdad fishing."
— Brian Laine, Grandson of Carl Laine
PRESS
TITLE
Light Capsules
YEAR
2015–Ongoing
PRESS
BL.AG Magazine
Bloomberg
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Portland Monthly
It's Nice That
AGIA Eye on Design
Creative Review
Rosco Spectrum
Adobe — Designer Craig Winslow Is Bringing Ghost Signs Back to Life
Adobe — Ghost-Sign Sleuth: Bringing the Past to Life in Astoria, Oregon
Adobe — Using Photoshop and Illustrator (and Trial and Error) to Uncover the Past
