Guth Music — A Ghost Sign Re-created

We gave this old beauty new life.

The building at 312 Steele Street was erected in 1913 by August Katt and Son. Its two-story front was divided into two stores — a music store and a garage — and by 1915 it was advertising Victrolas, Amberolas, and sewing machines. Charles (C.A.) Guth bought the businesses in 1919, and sometime between 1919 and 1925 the wall was painted as an advertisement for Guth Music and Sonora “clear as a bell” Victrolas.

A century later, we painted it back. The original wall at 312 Steele was painted over years ago — Mermaid Melody stands there now — so in 2025 we re-created the sign at 402 3rd Street, three blocks from where it began. It’s the kind of overlooked, painted-over history that downtown Algoma is richer for keeping.

Thank you to ArtBeet Inc for leading the project, and to Algoma Utilities, Nicolet Bank, the CDC, Nancy Riley, and the other private sponsors who invested in the preservation of culture. Thank you to Chief Tom Ackerman for his cooperation in making it happen, and to David Carpenter for painting with us.