Summary

The web content discusses the author's observations on the prevalent themes in Ghanaian signs, including common names for businesses, warnings against public urination, religious references, international business influences, health treatments, and burial services, all characterized by hand-painted artistry.

Abstract

The article titled "GLOBETROTTERS JANUARY CHALLENGE" delves into the diverse and vibrant signage culture in Ghana, as observed by the author during a two-month stay in 2007. The author notes the recurring theme of "Peace & Love" in various business names, reflecting a cultural emphasis on harmony and unity. Public urination warnings are also prevalent, indicating a societal challenge. The influence of American culture is evident in names like "Bronx" and "Wal-Mart," while the phrase "In God We Trust" suggests a religious dimension to commercial life. Signs offering treatments for ailments and burial services are common, showcasing the life cycle and health concerns within the community. The hand-painted nature of the signs reflects a traditional approach to advertising, distinct from digital or neon signage.

Opinions

The author expresses gratitude to Ronald Smit and Anne Bonfert for inspiring the article with their own work on unique words and phrases.
The author was particularly struck by the "Peace & Love" theme, which was first noticed at the school where they worked.
Public urination is seen as a significant issue in Ghana, as evidenced by the numerous signs cautioning against it.
The presence of American-inspired business names and the motto "In God We Trust" reflects a fascination with and adaptation of foreign cultural elements.
The author finds the graphic nature of some health treatment signs noteworthy and advises caution to sensitive readers.
The custom of creating coffins that reflect one's life's work is viewed with curiosity and respect, highlighting a unique cultural practice in Ghana.
The author appreciates the hand-painted signs as a hallmark of African advertising, noting the absence of modern signage materials like neon and plastic.

GLOBETROTTERS JANUARY CHALLENGE

There are Many Themes Among the Signs in Ghana

These are but a few of them

My goodness! What is going on here? [all photos by the author]

I begin by offering my thanks to Ronald Smit [author of “Weird and Wonderful Words”] and Anne Bonfert, who posted this month’s challenge, for encouraging me with their insight and humor to follow in their footsteps in writing about signs.

My focus is going to be concentrated in Ghana, where photos of signs that I saw far outnumber those of people, landscape, and the matters of the daily life that I led there for two months in 2007.

Here are some of the most common themes I observed:

Peace & Love

For a reason I could not figure out, this is the most common name for enterprises in Ghana. I saw it for a wide variety of places, from a school, to bars, to beauty salons, and general merchandise emporiums.

I was especially tipped off to the Peace & Love theme because it was the name of the school where I had come to work for two months, as indicated on the first sign of the top row. That is what alerted me to the name in the first place. Otherwise, I may not have noticed.

Warnings about urinating in public

Public urination must be a considerable problem, considering how many signs there are to caution against doing it.

There were more signs than these, of course, but that topic did not capture my attention or imagination as much as some of the others.

That being said, public urination is fairly common [in my experience] in many parts of Africa, and certainly not limited to Ghana.

In God We Trust

This is evidently a very common theme, with many enterprises that have it, or a variation on it, in their name.

It made me wonder how the official motto of the USA managed to work its way into Ghanaian culture.

References to businesses and places outside of Ghana

Somebody in Kumasi must have either visited or heard of the Bronx in a way that made them want to use the name in their business. I was especially curious about this one because that is where I was born.

They must also have heard of Wal-Mart and McDonalds, as well as a few other places well known from the USA.

Treatments for ailments

Whatever is bothering you, you may be able to find a sign that focuses on taking care of it.

CAUTION: Some of these signs are quite graphic in their content, so you may want to avert your eyes in order not to see all of the details. Or just don’t look too closely!

Burial services

If any of those ailments finishes you off, no worries! There are plenty of services that will help to prepare you for your burial.

As for the burial services, I was curious to note that there were never any advertisements about building coffins for people who had died.

In one neighborhood not too far from Accra, I encountered many workers who were creating coffins. It is the custom of many people who can afford the expense to be buried in coffins that are related to the way that they lived their lives.

For example, the coffin depicted below, on display at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, is in the shape of a cocoa bean, which indicates that the person to be buried in it was a cocoa farmer:

Overall similarities in signs

You will probably notice that all of the signs are hand painted and offered in various degrees of artistic ability. I have been to twenty countries in Africa, and this seems to be the norm. There is little or nothing in the way of neon or plastic.