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1930s Porcelain Enamel New York City Subway Sign
New York, NY
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Details
Description
This is a one-of-a-kind, nearly perfectly preserved New York City subway sign from the 1930s. It is fabricated in green …
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This is a one-of-a-kind, nearly perfectly preserved New York City subway sign from the 1930s. It is fabricated in green porcelain enamel upon steel, and it was installed for decades at as street-level subway entrance to face customers as they descended into the tunnels. The sign dates to the early days of the New York City subway, when rival private companies ran their own services across the five boroughs. The IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit), the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit), and the city-run IND (Independent) operated individually during these years, combined later during unification in the 1940s. This is the reason the different lines of today's MTA utilize subway cars of different sizes and lengths, as the rival companies were little interested in accommodating their rivals' rolling stock.
This is a sign from the Independent System, making use of the now-famous art deco font specifically designed for the IND. To fabricate a sign such as this, a sign-painter would hand stencil the lettering which was then fired in multiple layers of enamel coating to achieve a glossy, resilient surface. The sign is reverse-cut, meaning the white text is the primary layer and actually slightly lower to the touch than the green enamel (an effect known as 'shelving' on these signs). The sign would have been hung on the "E" line, which runs along the 'Queensboro' Queens Boulevard right-of-way into 8th Avenue in Manhattan, then down to the World Trade Center. The sign details a number of possible destinations and transfers, such as Downtown Manhattan or the Bronx.
This sign is in nearly perfect condition despite its 80 years of age. There is extremely minor edge loss on the extreme left and top left corners (documented in photos), and slight variation to the gloss along the sign as a result of years of use, but by and large it is in nearly mint condition. This is an extraordinary example.
This sign is available for New York City pickup, or it can be shipped, but please allow time for packing and handling if shipping is selected.
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- Dimensions
- 60ʺW × 0.2ʺD × 23ʺH
- Styles
- Art Deco
- Industrial
- Period
- 1930s
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Enamel
- Porcelain
- Steel
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Green
- Condition Notes
- Extremely minor edge wear to the porcelain enamel on the extreme left and top left, slight variations in gloss consistency … moreExtremely minor edge wear to the porcelain enamel on the extreme left and top left, slight variations in gloss consistency and some scratching from use in subway less
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Shipping Options
Standard Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Extended Return for Trade
- Expands return window for trade members to 14 days (12 days more than our standard return policy)
- Trade member to notify Chairish of intent to return within 14 days of item delivery
- Buyer refunded item cost. Buyer pays return shipping cost
- Does not apply to damages that occur post-delivery
New York, NY
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Orders where Free Local Pickup or Seller Managed Local Delivery were selected:
- Upon inspection, If you decide not to move forward with the purchase, you or your agent must refuse the item at the time of pickup/delivery from the seller
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- International, cross-border returns may require different processes depending on the countries between which the item is shipping to/from, and the buyer is responsible and duties (if applicable, on cross-border orders).
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Shipping
Note: Made-to-Order items typically include a lead time or custom delivery window that is added to the delivery time.
- Chairish Express In-Home Delivery
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- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
- Shipping charges start at $999 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Deliveries can take anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks to be delivered.
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- Only available in selected markets.
- Chairish In-Home Delivery
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
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Shipping charges start at $149 and based on the size and the distance between pickup and delivery
(for approximate values see table):
Delivery Type Within 50 miles radius Within 1,500 miles radius Over 1,500 miles radius International Cross-Border Shipping Price $149 - $299 $199 - $799 $449 - $899 Over $899 Transit Time 2 to 4 weeks 3 to 6 weeks 4 to 8 weeks 12 to 17 weeks - For some items, the shipping price may vary depending on the size, weight, material and/or value of the item.
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- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification & Seller's contact information
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- Shipping charges start at $9 — and vary based on the size, weight, packaging and the value of the item.
Delivery Type US Domestic International Cross-Border Shipping Price $9 - $99 $39 - $499 Transit Time 1 to 2 weeks 2 to 4 weeks - Seller Managed Delivery
- Shipping is offered and managed by the seller, through a shipper of the seller’s choice.
- Available on items at the seller’s discretion.
- Seller Managed Local Delivery
- Local curbside delivery is offered and managed by the seller, within a limited geography.
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- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate delivery.
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