You walk into a cafe, a convenience store or a boutique - or just stroll around the neighborhood - and suddenly you notice this old faded ad, almost invisible, that has nothing to do with the current business. Or is it maybe a brass tablet with somebody’s initials and address.
 
I call these urban artifacts “phantom ads”. They reveal the layers of the local history and make you subtly touch the lives and aspirations of those who lived here before you.
 
The Norris Sweets brooch is made with an antique ink stamp of Atlanta’s Norris Candy Company. It was founded in the early 1900’s and enjoyed several decades of success, and a century later I bought it at the New York City flea market. It’s striking how such a tiny everyday object, so common for contemporary small commerce (think coffee cups and cookie bags!) can evoke a plethora of associations and sparkle curiosity. 
 
Here I was playing with the contrast of the size perception of a tiny stamp and of a storefront ad, as well as with this nostalgic appreciation of antique lettering - and years of effort and success.