In the late 19th Century, Milwaukee’s Third Ward was a manufacturing powerhouse, a bustling hub of activity and industry.
Today, it has transformed into a vibrant arts, entertainment and retail district. Yet, amid this modern evolution, the fading signs from a bygone age that adorn many buildings remain— a silent and slowly vanishing testament to the area’s rich industrial heritage.
Milwaukee marketing agency Hoffman York has introduced Augmented History, which restores the lost art inherent in these historic “ghost” signs.
The augmented reality project is a unique blend of history and technology that gives the public the opportunity to view the Third Ward’s storied past through a present-day lens, with the faded advertisements offering a glimpse into the past.
“We’re not only preserving Milwaukee’s history, we’re making it interactive and accessible in a way that’s never been done before,” Hoffman York Executive Creative Director Mike Roe said. “This project marries our passion for storytelling with our commitment to innovation, allowing everyone to step into history where Milwaukee’s storied past gets a digital makeover.”
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The impetus for Augmented History stemmed from Roe noticing a particular ghost sign on the side of a building adjacent to Hoffman York’s Third Ward office space. He’d see the sign day after day when arriving for work.
“There’s probably only about 20% of it left and the rest is eroded,” Roe said. “I don’t know why that fascination began. I don’t know if it’s the advertising person in me that says that back in the day this is how they got the word out, by painting on the side of their buildings. It was just this combination of trying to figure out what those signs used to look like and what was the story there.”
The faded sign that caught Roe’s attention is on the side of a building once occupied by Monarch Manufacturing.
Then Roe began noticing other ghost signs in the Third Ward.
“I got really fascinated by them,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do something at Hoffman York with technology and I started thinking about these signs. You can’t restore them, and they are eventually just going to fade away to nothing. I thought augmented reality would be a great way to show what these signs used to look like and preserve, on some level, the history of these hand-painted signs. So, I got a team together and we spent about a year working on it.”
The project has been an ambitious effort to digitally recreate the ghost signs. Through meticulous research of hundreds of historic photos, the team at Hoffman York has successfully captured the original essence of the signs but it didn’t come easy, Roe said.
He spent countless hours at the Milwaukee County Historical Society, the Milwaukee Public Library and the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
“It was really difficult. I was surprised how much I couldn’t find,” Roe said. “Rex Chocolates, for example, it was really hard to find information about them even though they were a really big player. Monarch Manufacturing, same thing.”
If Roe couldn’t locate photos of a specific building, he would search data bases for neighboring structures.
“I would try to find a photo of a different building that would have the building I was really looking for in the background,” he said. “I did that a couple of times. It’s like you’re a detective and you’ve found the smoking gun. It was really fun and exciting.”
Investing time and energy into the research for Augmented History had a lasting effect on Roe.
“I don’t consider myself a history guy at all but something about looking at these signs and going back in time and finding out what the messages were, who made them, what were the companies like and what they made and sold. It’s a cool time travel window,” he said.
The digitally recreated signs are now accessible through an augmented reality experience, enabling users to see these pieces of history restored to their original form on their smartphones in two different ways. When in the Third Ward, users can use the web browser on their smart phone to go to augmentedhistory.org.
Once on site, clicking the “take the tour” option brings up a digital map of the ghost sign locations. When arriving at the specific building, holding the phone or tablet over the building will allow users to discover the original billboard. Immediately, personal devices become a window to the past, overlaying the vibrant, restored sign over current scenery. On-site markers have also been installed to provide additional background information.
There are 14 ghost signs in all available for viewing.
Printed maps with QR codes are also available as another tour option. The maps area currently available at the Historic Third Ward Association office (525 E. Chicago St.). Maps are also likely to soon be available at the Milwaukee Public Market and other outlets. To engage with Augmented History, users simply scan each QR code located on the walking tour map.
This project aims not only to celebrate Milwaukee’s architectural and commercial heritage but also to engage the community and visitors in a dynamic and educational exploration of the city’s evolution.
“It’s a portal to the past, offering a glimpse into the commercial vibrancy of old Milwaukee, all through the screen of your phone,” Roe said. “We’re thrilled to offer this digital bridge between generations, fostering a deeper connection to our city’s rich history.”
Early feedback of the project has been highly positive, Roe said.
“It’s one of those things that makes me a bit shocked and surprised because in advertising you don’t always know what’s going to hit,” he said. “ But I think people will really love it. It’s about Milwaukee’s history.”
Expanding Augmented History to other parts of the city is a possibility, Roe said.
“I’m certainly open to it,” he said. “I’ve seen quite a few ghost signs in the Fifth Ward that are really beautiful. It’s going to be kind of based on the public’s reaction. If people are interested in this first project, we could always add on. What’s nice right now is that it’s all contained in the Third Ward, where the density is great. There are so many ghost signs around there.”
