I decided to add a painted Burma-Shave sign to the side of the general store model. I will post a photo of the model as soon as it is completed. Here is the sign I picked from the numerous ones available on the internet. Just search for “burma shave signs.”
Most folks my age can remember the Burma-Shave signs along the highway. The signs first appeared in Minnesota in 1925, and remained a major advertising component until 1963 in most of the contiguous United States. The exceptions were New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada (deemed to have insufficient road traffic), and Massachusetts (eliminated due to that state’s high land rentals and roadside foliage).
Typically, six consecutive small signs would be posted along the edge of highways, spaced for sequential reading by passing motorists. The last sign was almost always the name of the product. There were also Burma-Shave billboard signs, usually in pairs. Large single signs were often painted on the sides of buildings. The signs were originally produced in two color combinations: red-and-white and orange-and-black, though the latter was eliminated after a few years. A special white-on-blue set of signs was developed for South Dakota, which restricted the color red on roadside signs to official warning notices. Some of the signs had railroad themes.
Think about adding a Burma-Shave sign or signs to your layout. It’s one more thing we can easily add that makes viewing the layout more fun for our visitors.
