The American Sign Museum continues to seek “smalls,” as antique dealers designate smaller items, which will be displayed in one of the museum’s 14 or 15 storefronts along the new museum’s “Signs on Main Street” area. The new storefronts will retain themed displays, which the existing museum also features. Two themes have emerged: advertising clocks and salesmen’s samples, which are recent acquisitions I’m featuring this month.
The museum purchased salesman’s samples at the Antique Advertising show, which is held bi-annually at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds. The show has long been a great source for the collection. The Ford Torino pictorial, in the miniature, painted bulletin, attests to its early 1970s vintage; the former Pacific Outdoor Advertising created it.
The Mazurk Signs moving-message sign is a POP version of the larger “zipper” signs that tracked the rise and fall of Dow Jones and other updatable news. A pre-inscribed tape, wound between two motorized rollers, “flows” the moving message across the display panel. The drop-in plastic panel at top is deep, reverse-etched. The sample was acquired in its original, but deteriorated, cardboard carton, which indicated the original manufacturer, Hawley-Condit, Los Angeles.
The three 1940s to 1950s-vintage clocks feature reverse, screenprinted graphics. Crystal Mfg. (Chicago) manufactured the Duquesne clock, with its art-deco look, particularly in the sunburst design.
Note the halftone figure in the Aspirin-brand clock’s graphics on the glass bubble face. The clock was acquired with its original box, which has a great Neon Product’s (Lima, OH) logo printed in orange-red and black.
The museum acquired the primarily wood, Keystone Bread clock, with four, different, changeable, cardboard panels that promote various Keystone breads. The manufacturer is unknown.