Author: Stephen Deatherage
In every town and city across the country, old roadside signs tell stories about the history of neighborhoods and businesses. But those signs are vanishing as towns and cities change and grow. So in 2010, Christopher Lawing—an Eagle Scout and high school student with a love for photography—embarked on a passion project. That year, Lawing began photographing roadside signs in the Charlotte, North Carolina area (home of Mecklenburg County Council) as part of his “Charlotte Signs Project.” Then, after studying design at NC State, Lawing self-published a book in 2017 that documents Charlotte’s history through those roadside signs (“Charlotte: The Signs of the Times”; available at https://www.cltsignsproject.com/shop). “I was tying together my love of Charlotte and my love of design,” Lawing said. “I combined those interests and started snapping away, and now I’m still taking pictures 10 years later.”
But Lawing didn’t stop there.
In 2021, Charlotte’s Museum of History asked Lawing to help curate an exhibit: “Charlotte: Signs of Home.” Starting that September, and continuing through September 2023, visitors were able to see dozens of roadside signs in all their color and glory—bringing back memories of experiences and places from the past. “My goal in saving these signs is to preserve and celebrate the history of our community,” Lawing said. “I am so pleased to bring these signs back so that people can see them in person.”
More information about the Charlotte Signs Project and history exhibit is available at https://www.ourstate.com/queen-city-neon/ and https://www.cltsignsproject.com/museum-exhibit
