Design

Vintage Sign Sampler

Recent acquisitions exemplify the diversity of the museum’s growing collection.

Published

18 years ago

March 29, 2006

Tod Swormstedt Signs of the Times March 2006 Issue

Each of the five signs pictured here has its own story to tell, but for this month’s column, I’ll highlight the man behind the Style Sign Co. sign.

>Bill Christman of Christman Studios (St. Louis) told me that the man who created this sample sign was also a signpainter to the stars, so to speak.

>Jim May, who co-owns Purple Cow Antiques, the sign’s source, confirms that John Trantina’s signshop sat in the back of the Herkert-Meisel Quality Luggage building. The famous St. Louis luggage purveyor often called Trantina to the front office to hand-letter the names of the rich and famous — such as Clark Gable and Carol Lombard — on their newly purchased trunks. Oh, the stories those trunks could tell.

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The Sign Industry Podcast is a platform for every sign person out there — from the old-timers who bent neon and hand-lettered boats to those venturing into new technologies — we want to get their stories out for everyone to hear. Come join us and listen to stories, learn tricks or techniques, and get insights of what’s to come. We are the world’s second oldest profession. The folks who started the world’s oldest profession needed a sign.