If you’ve ever had the chance to visit the American Sign Museum (ASM) in Cincinnati, or check out one of the earliest Signs of the Times issues all the way from 1906, you’d know that signs have a long, long history behind them. In many cases, it is actually the signs that give you a glimpse into history: the handpainted wooden sign hanging from a tavern in the historic part of town, the goldleaf lettering on the window of the shop you frequented in childhood, the nostalgic landmarks of Route 66…
Jeff Russ, our content studio manager, has curated a collection of signs that take viewers on a grand tour through history, from cultural icons of the 1970’s-80’s back to the earliest known photographs of signage in the late nineteenth century. To see more of Jeff’s collection and other intriguing content, visit the Signs of the Times Facebook page.
Here we present some notable photographs from that extensive collection, featured in black and white and sepia. Whether due to technological limitation of the time or stylistic choice, the monochromatic touch truly highlights the design and timeworn, or timeless, quality of the signs they capture. All captions are by Jeff Russ.
Watney Brewers, London, 1884.
Back when window graphics were the menu, and tables for ladies too! Baltimore, 1930.
Just a couple of regular guys taking a sign selfie. Crestwood, MO, 1979.
Sheesh! Meadow Gold, even we think that’s a bit much! The Pegasii? Perfection.
Bristol, TN’s Robert E. Lee Motel from the 1950’s — notable because a certain Col. Sanders is running a fried chicken restaurant on the second floor.
Tampa, FL, 1942.
We’re just here for the corsets, cigarillos and talcum powder! Billboards in Times Square, early 1900’s.
Does it get any better than this? Cascade, ID, 1941.
When giant boots ruled the road: Peters Bros. promotional car, San Francisco, 1922.
We give the lettering on this 1948 GMC tow truck an A+.
Women in Signs, 1949 edition.
Glasgow, 1868, photo by Thomas Annan.
London, 1870.
Deadwood, SD, 1876.
Mulberry St., New York, 1899.
Remember The King: New York’s Paramount Theater on the opening of Elvis’s first film Love Me Tender. Nov 15, 1956.
The Cola Wars have been raging for decades. This might’ve been “Team Coke” planning a new offensive. Brooklyn, NY, 1946.
This historic handpainted billboard from Oak Ridge, TN, photographed during the events of the Manhattan Project, looks to be the atomic version of “Loose lips sink ships.” 1945.
Taking the A-Train to Brooklyn, 1940. Photo by Joe Schwartz.
Another trip back in sign-time: Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand and their July 4 hot dog eating contest shenanigans. Coney Island, NY, 1955.
Letting freedom ring. Here’s a sign-filled street scene from Normandy, France, in June of 1944. If you look closely, you’ll see that Le Globe Cafe offers Ping Pong, and that jeep just passed a Shell station. Who knew?
You are looking at one of the most famous pole ads of the 1960’s and ’70s, if not all time. If you filled up at an Esso station during this time period, you remember this sign.
This photo perfectly encapsulates the “Golden Age” of American signage. Reedsville, WV, 1932.
23 Historical Photos of Signs in Monochrome
If you’ve ever had the chance to visit the American Sign Museum (ASM) in Cincinnati, or check out one of the earliest Signs of the Times issues all the way from 1906, you’d know that signs have a long, long history behind them. In many cases, it is actually the signs that give you a glimpse into history: the handpainted wooden sign hanging from a tavern in the historic part of town, the goldleaf lettering on the window of the shop you frequented in childhood, the nostalgic landmarks of Route 66…
Jeff Russ, our content studio manager, has curated a collection of signs that take viewers on a grand tour through history, from cultural icons of the 1970’s-80’s back to the earliest known photographs of signage in the late nineteenth century. To see more of Jeff’s collection and other intriguing content, visit the Signs of the Times Facebook page.
Here we present some notable photographs from that extensive collection, featured in black and white and sepia. Whether due to technological limitation of the time or stylistic choice, the monochromatic touch truly highlights the design and timeworn, or timeless, quality of the signs they capture. All captions are by Jeff Russ.