Burma Shave Wooden Panel Sign

Object/Artifact

-

American Sign Museum

Name/Title

Burma Shave Wooden Panel Sign

Entry/Object ID

2010.0008.0001

Description

One of a set of two vertical wooden board panel signs for Burma Shave, a company who had one of the most iconic advertising campaigns. They are typical of the company's roadside advertising signs but somewhat larger than the usual. The boards can rotate and twist on a point to be seen front and back. One side reads, "Aviators fall for it," while the other reads, "Burma Shave" both sections in black-painted script on white background.

Context

These two sign boards were found in the Minneapolis-St.Paul home of Clinton Odell, who was the founder of the Burma-Vita which owned Burma Shave. When Odell's home was purchase in 1999, these were discovered in the attic, installed as floor boards and nailed to the floor joists. It is unverified whether these were actually used as outdoor advertising, instead most likely were prototypes for later versions.

Collection

Permanent Collection

Category

Painted Wood
Signs/Displays

Made/Created

Time Period

1940 - 1949, 1930 - 1939

Dimensions

Height

96 in

Width

12 in

Depth

1 in

Material

Wood, Paint

Location

Category

Exhibit

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair