Trade Signs
Photo taken by Helyn at the American Sign Museum, Ohio, USA
Pre-twentieth century trade signs have a magical quality to them. The form and shape would often display the meaning of the sign itself, with no words required.
Some of the earliest examples of signage stem from the humble pub. In Roman towns, taverns would display vine leaves outside to advertise themselves - a nod to Bacchus, the Greek God of wine. This idea was later brought to the Medieval towns of England where it became illegal to not display a sign outside a pub if you were to sell beer. Trade signs became popular with other professions, such as Barbers, Opticians, Iron Smiths and Cobblers.
The 3D shape or image on the sign would allow people to understand what the shop was selling or the service provided with no literacy skills required. By the mid-eighteenth century, trade signs dominated the streets of London and started to become a nuisance. Laws were put in place to restrict the size of hanging signs, and gradually they were made flat and became fixed to the wall.
In the 1920s, neon lighting was invented and old trade signs were given a new lease of life with the enticing addition of bright, glowing bulbs.
This eyeglasses trade sign is "neonized" in the mid-1930s. Photo taken by Helyn at the American Sign Museum, Ohio, USA.
Modern versions of trade signs are still frequently found. Think of the striped Barber pole or the scales of a Lawyer. In some cases they still have an important purpose, such as the cross for a hospital, this symbol allows people from around the world to distinguish a vital service without understanding the native language. I still remember the big wooden boot outside the Oxford Cobbler which I believe still hangs today.
Photos taken by Helyn at House on the Rock, Wisconsin USA
I would like to re-create an old weathered Cobbler sign from
mid-eighteenth century America.
So, what do I need to consider?
How is the wood affected by it’s environment - Wind, Rain, Pollution?
What did shoes actually look like at that time?
What typefaces were popular?
What colours and types of paint were available?
What types of fixings would have been used?
In my next post I’ll look at some of these points in more detail to create a backstory for the sign that I want to produce and go through some of the techniques and processes involved.