Events A Golden Opportunity to Learn at the Return to El Dorado Ghi Sign Service resumes its gilding-themed Letterheads meets following their pandemic postponement. Better Letters Apr 17, 2025 • 5 min read Gold slinging returns to Ghi Sign Service in Canaan, Connecticut. Panel: Philip Ghi. Philip Ghi, owner of Ghi Sign Service, has been hosting Letterheads meets since 1995, and the recent gathering in Canaan, Connecticut, saw the ressurection of his long-running series of gilding themed events. However, he is quick to credit his friend Mike Szczoczarz with the original 'El Dorado' concept, which emerged during an encounter at the USSC trade show in Atlantic City, New Jersey:"There was a corner of the convention centre that was affectionately referred to as the 'Bullpen'. This was a place where we could escape the noise of the hi-tech cutters, routers, and vinyl vendors, and actually ply our craft with paint and brush."Philip Ghi lettering his 'Fishheads' panel at the recent 'Return to El Dorado' meet. His son Dominic is behind, working on a glass panel.Their shared passion for hand-crafted work led to a conversation about the changes they were witnessing in the trade. These included the proliferation of 22 karat gold vinyl, which was replacing more and more of the gilding work on signs and vehicles. As a retired firefighter, Mike was particularly saddened by the impact on the long tradition of firetrucks being gilded and lettered by hand."He [Mike] pitched me the idea of a Letterhead meet that focused primarily on gold and metal leaf. I quickly agreed and offered to host it at our shop. The details are a little foggy but I think it was a couple of years later, and with some encouragement from other sign buddies, that I committed to a meet in March 2013."Guests from the 2017 El Dorado meet at Ghi Sign Service, and panels from the event in 2018.After that first gathering, Ghi's 'El Dorado' events were an annual fixture until the series was brought to an abrupt halt by the pandemic. He likens them to the old-style meets of the 1980s and 1990s, with no cover charge and everything run on a loose 'come as you are' basis. He tells attendees that they can:"Work on whatever you feel like working on when you get here. I do have glass and books of gold available at cost for anyone that needs it. I also provide paint, panels and all the fixings even though most attendees come pretty well equipped. I have a couple of screens burned to do the yearly themed reverse-glass panel project, which gives people the opportunity to leave with a finished (or nearly finished) glass piece at the end of the weekend."Work-in-progress on some of the diverse projects that participants got busy with at the recent 'Return to El Dorado' meet: 'DeWayne Cannot' striping a skateboard, Louie Pacuzzi applying water size to a glass piece, and Frank 'Rooster' Inzerillo using his dagger on a sword.As any past host knows, these events are what Ghi describes as "a labour of love", and they also double as "an excuse to finally clean the shop a little better than usual!" They're invariably team efforts, and would never have happened without the tireless help and support of his wife Maria and his son Dominic who each "rolled up their sleeves and got the hard work done".Frank 'Rooster' Inzerillo (left), Dominic Ghi (right), and jewellery maker Lucinda with her freshly painted nameplate.And what about the 'El Dorado' name, or in the case of the most recent event, the 'Return to El Dorado'?"It was meant to conjure up the idea of the never-ending search for gold, or in our case, the never-ending search for the perfect gold leaf application. Mike would say 'I can show you how to gild in 15 minutes ... but it would take years to master the skill'."Shop talk: Zeke Lemanski, Dan Danzenbaker, Paul Quinn and Frank 'Rooster' Inzerillo in conversation.Each of these events has had attendees at different stages of that search, ensuring the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. Part of this comes from the opportunity to work with a pre-designed glass panel, with screens used to replicate the artwork. However, the final panels are anything but carbon copies, as Ghi points out:"Even though the back screens are the same, the finished pieces come out very different with the use of different karats of gold, abalone, mother of pearl, etching, chipping, and opaque and transparent paints. I'm always amazed at the creativity and imagination that goes in to each and every project."Hot Rod Jen working with Philip Ghi's design, and Ghi's finished piece for the 2025 Return to El Dorado meet.Project designs from past meets: 'Cigars' (2018) by Mike Szczoczarz; 'El Dorado' (2016) by Doug Bernhardt; and 'Lost City' (2017) by 'DeWayne Cannot'.Personal projects from the 2025 Return to El Dorado meet: Mayan head with palm leaves by Brian Schofield; stone jaguar by Paul Quinn; and 'Clingstone' by Shawn Gilheeney.After a wonderful time back in the hosting saddle, Ghi feels like he'll be returning to El Dorado again in the near future. He enjoys their informality — "it ends up being about half social event and half working" — and also the sharing that happens through one of his favourite traditions, the panel swap:"This happens near the end of the day on Saturday, and is very simple: bring a panel to swap and get a panel in return. Participants pull a name out of a hat and the name you draw is the person's panel you get. The projects and the panels become the lasting reminder of a weekend spent with friends new and old."Team El Dorado with souvenirs of their adventures in gilding.Thank you to Philip Ghi for sharing these photos and the El Dorado back story. And to Maria and Dominic Ghi for helping to make it all happen.More Letterheads