Shopry Antique Signs

[joe]

Shorpy is a gold mine for antique sign idea's. They offer extremely high resolution photo's of out country as she was developing. The pix are a collection of photo's housed in the public records of Library of Congress. www.shorpy.com

This photo makes me want to carve a set of choppers and make an antique dentist sign. Dr. White has a patent on his "Anchor Suction Dentures".

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e115/jcrumley1/Dentistofficea1copy.jpg

If any of you guys have photo's of dentured signs I'd like to see them.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[myxpykalix]

I love to see old photos like that. I also have taken some inspiration for some designs from old movies i watch on Turner Classic Movies from the 30's and 40's.

Life was simpler then.....ahhh to be a kid again...:)

[joe]

Here ya go Jack. This is another inspirational sign idea. "Immediate Relief".
I really like this artists rendering of the teeth, but the eyes capture my imagination. Gotta give this a try.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e115/jcrumley1/f7_1_b.jpg

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[chiloquinruss]

The best part is what he is willing to do the work for! :) Russ

[joe]

Russ,

For me, it the way the fellows eyes were painted. And were talking "Instant Relief" here. Lots going on in this sign. Llike you say, everyone is considering what they have to trade.

Woops, somethings wrong, what's the Dr's name?

Joe Crumley
Normansignco.com

[Brady Watson]

Pretty cool, Joe. Thanks for posting.

You never know...it may at some point come down to barter again...

-B

[billp]

"An eye for an eye, a mule for a tooth? " Tough economy.....

[joe]

I found this sign on Ebay.

I'm not fond of skulls on signs.

Bill, it's the truth. I'm trading out two Root Canals and crowns. Can't afford gold ones. Dang it

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e115/jcrumley1/repro_dentist_signcopy.jpg

Joe Crumley

[bleeth]

Dentist's like to trade out and a lot of them like to tinker with wood. It's amazing how many I have met that have wood tools in their garages. Probably since we do a lot of the same kind of thing but in a different scale.
Nicest work bench I ever built was a trade out for dental work.

[michael_schwartz]

I live in a town where barter is commonplace. Trade was invented long before money. I have traded at least one sign for food.

[kevin]

We forgot what an art form sign can be .That back in the day with no cnc they did amazing work

[Ajcoholic]

I live in a town where barter is commonplace. Trade was invented long before money. I have traded at least one sign for food.

I just traded a custom window trim out (half round window molding, some columns, window seat, etc) for a "gourmet" southern fried chicken dinner :) And I am not joking (I LOVE good fried chicken which is impossible to get here)! I love the barter system... Have traded a cedar strip canoe I built for a new furnace in my old house, and I get my hair cuts in barter all the time...

AJC

PS I am just old enough to remember a few of the old generation sign guys, who did everything by hand. Pre vinyl, and computer graphics... they sure did some nice work.

[joe]

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e115/jcrumley1/MikeMeyerSigns005.jpg

Mike Meyer is one of our brush hero's who keeps up the craft. Mike sent me this photo, It's one of his advertising pieces. Not a joke.


Now boys, it wasn't all that long ago when all signs were done by hand. I opened "The Norman Sign Co." in late 79 without a computer. The most valuable thing I had was the overhead projector and a few brushes. A fellow could get a business going out of his garage with much investment. We used yellow pages for advertising. it was cheap worked and worked.

Had lunch today with a old hand lettering sign fellow. He's Still laying out signs by hand. These boys are fast, good and independent.

There's a website devoted to hand lettering. www.creativesignmakers.com/. Be sure to view "General (Ironsides) Meyer's" history and his fight against the Gerber Vinyl machines. The article is at the bottom of the opening page. If any of you get a chance to attend one of their workshops you'll be changed forever.

I can't wait for our own Dr. Chapman to read this post. He'll get in here and start blabbing. It could go on for ever.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com

[michael_schwartz]

I never realized how hard hand lettering is until I painted white letters, on a dark grey background with house paint. I spent a couple of hours each over a week working on it to get it to look passable. Next time I am going to get oneshot, or an acrylic art paint with a high enough pigment load.

After this project I did for myself last summer I have had a new respect for the guys who make it look easy.

[joewino]

I love to hear you old guys talk about the "good old days".