Discover Hong Kong’s diverse story through its "Ghost Signs" — remnants of defunct signage left behind when businesses closed. These fading hand‑painted advertisements and shopfront lettering are urban artefacts quietly preserving the city’s everyday history.
In this engaging talk, designer and researcher, Billy Potts, Director & Partner at Hong Kong Ghost Signs, will share with us his timeless journey in the hidden layers of the streetscape. From Hong Kong Telephone and the Urban Council to older, obscured signs that have resurfaced, Billy reveals how these traces connect us to the lives, trades, and communities of the past.
Last year at the Royal Asiatic Society China as part of their Beyond City talk series, Billy's Ghost Signs presentation received great resonation, and he now brings the talk home. Through stories of discovery and methods of inquiry, he will share with audience how ghost signs are living archives—capturing memory, design, and resilience in paint and typography.
Let's uncover the ghostly traces that make Hong Kong’s urban fabric unique.
More about Hong Kong Ghost Signs:
IG:@hkghostsigns
https://hkghostsigns.substack.com/
The Speaker
Billy Potts is a writer and designer born and raised in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has always captured his imagination. He trained as a lawyer and then started a design consultancy with a special emphasis on local heritage. Potts is also the founder of Hong Kong Ghost Signs, an initiative that documents and maps defunct signage across the city, recognising these unique cultural artifacts as a reflection of Hong Kong’s identity and past amid rapid urban change.
As a writer, Billy is interested in the city's esoteric folk traditions, design, culture, art and environment. He is key contributor at Zolima CityMag and co-author of Zolima Culture Guide Vol 1: Henry Steiner's Hong Kong. Hong Kong Ghost Signs is a Design Trust grant project, whereas Billy collaborates with photographer, Ben Marans.
PROGRAMME
Speaker: Venue: Admission: Billy Potts, RASHK Activities Committee and Council member, writer for Zolima CityMag, online urban culture magazine about Hong Kong
Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
(Reception starts at 6:30 pm)
Café 8, Roof, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Pier 8, Central
$175 for members, $220 for guests /non-members
(Light refreshments are included in the admission fee)
Registration: Please email <membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk> and provide your membership number, if applicable, at the time of registration. Please kindly complete your registration by advance payment via Stripe's payment links below (using your Credit Card):
Members ($175):
https://buy.stripe.com/bJeaEY6xmaow0mv1tD5EY3A
Non-member / Guest ($220):
https://buy.stripe.com/4gMeVeaNC54cd9hegp5EY3B
Details about the other payment option will be sent on registration. Upon receipt of payment, your registration will be confirmed by email. Registration will be closed at 12 noon on 21 October 2026.