SIGNS OVER AMERICA

The late Lady Bird Johnson was never big on the art of the roadside sign. In fact, she devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to rid America of the pox of neon signs, billboards and other bits of the art of commerce along our Nation’s highways and byways. Ultimately, we are better for it, and I applaud her efforts. Today, of course, we are smothered by the crushing weight of electronic advertising, and the simple regional attempts at exterior self-promotion lay rusting on their own walls, forgotten reminders of a less sophisticated time. Ah, but plenty of examples still remain, in small towns and cities across our great country, and I am always on the lookout, along with my fellow commercial archaeologists! Here’s a quick romp in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

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