Cunningham Piano Sign Restoration

In every corner of the city, it’s not hard to find a faded, hand-painted sign on the side of an old building. Most of these “ghost signs” advertise businesses that have long since moved on. But not all of them are throwbacks to Philadelphia’s industrial heritage. There are many multi-generational, family-owned businesses that have survived the sometimes tumultuous current of Philadelphia’s economic history.

In 2015, Mural Arts partnered with the Tyler School of Art and Temple Contemporary to restore some of these still relevant signs as part of Vital Signs. The restoration of the Cunningham Piano Company sign in Germantown is one example. Founded in 1891, Cunningham is still in operation today.