[Fading Advertisements] BiS and A. Steinkamp
When working on Fading Ads of Cincinnati about ten years ago, there were a few “ghost signs” that I didn’t have the chance to include. In the years since, however, I’ve managed to photograph a handful of them while occasionally documenting some new (to me) examples. Throughout that time, though, there was was one building—and its collection of signs in particular—that kept bugging me.
It sat in my neighborhood, but in a corner I never really found myself in. And when I did, one of the more prominent signs was usually obscured by the wild reflections from a neighboring building.
Reflections over some of the ghost signs as seen on 35mm film in 2018.
The only other times I’d be reminded of this specific wall art was while heading to the airport. Coming out of the interstate trench and approaching the bridge, I’d occasionally catch one of the signs out of the corner of my eye, but it wasn’t something I’d ever really noticed from ground-level (not that I regularly found myself under the highway on the edge of downtown).
A BIS “Just for the records” sign seen just right of the ramp connecting Fort Washington Way with the Brent Spence Bridge via Google Street View in May 2025.
If I could remember before boarding my flight, I’d write down a reminder to eventually go shoot the building and its signs.
And if I could remember that reminder one day, there was a chance I might actually do it.
Then “one day” finally happened. I remembered every thing.
BiS branding on the loading dock.
BiS “Go PaperLESS” sign in downtown Cincinnati.
Except the reflections, I forgot about those.
So, eventually, I went back on an overcast morning to reshoot and get the rest.
The building’s most prominent signs are for the former Business Information Solutions, Inc., also known simply as: BiS. Per the company’s former LinkedIN page:
“BiS-Business Information Solutions, Inc. provides document management services that help organizations cut cost, save time, reduce risk and move towards a paperLESS office.
BiS’ services enable customers to secure all their vital business records--no matter the format to optimize their business and ensure proper retrieval, and compliance.
Founded in 1980 by Frank Albi, BiS succeeds to bring file storage, data backup, shredding and document imaging to businesses all over the Greater Cincinnati area.”
While BiS’ painted signs have long been a landmark in the Southwest corner of downtown Cincinnati, the company also had iconic signage at another one of their facilities just up the road:
BIS facility with classic signage as seen on Google Street View in October 2016.
BiS facility with updated signage as seen on Google Street View in May 2019.
In 2021, the company’s founder and owner retired, selling BiS to the Access corporation of Massachusetts.
Former BiS facility with the updated Access signage as seen on Google Street View in November 2025.
While the new name has appeared on the West End facility, the painted BiS signs remain on the downtown building.
They’re not the only ones, though.
Pre-dating BiS, several faint words can be found—the most prominent referring to A. Steinkamp & Co. which advertised products such as carpets and stoves.
While one particularly faded word seems to say “SALESROOM,” I haven’t been able to find much more detail on the building’s previous owners or uses.
For other fading advertisement/ghost sign posts: go here, but also: be sure to follow the absolutely wonderful work of Bill over at “The Writing on the Walls.”
You can learn more about Fading Ads of Cincinnati here.
Since 2007, the content of this website (and its former life as Queen City Discovery) has been a huge labor of love.
If you’ve enjoyed stories like The Ghost Ship, abandoned amusement parks, the Cincinnati Subway, Fading Ads, or others over the years—might you consider showing some support for future projects?
