1930s Tourists Rooms Bath Cabins Double-Sided Painted Metal Sign 30” X 17.5”

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Description

Metal Tourist sign with hand-lettered or stencil-painted double-sided black lettering on a cream background with green border measuring 30” wide … Read more Metal Tourist sign with hand-lettered or stencil-painted double-sided black lettering on a cream background with green border measuring 30” wide x 17.5” high, and weighs about 8 pounds.

The wording: "TOURISTS" "ROOMS • BATH" "CABINS" reflects the era of roadside "tourist homes," "tourist camps," and "cabin courts" that flourished before large motel chains became common. The sign's style and wording fit that era very well. Tourist cabins remained especially popular through the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1950s, signs more often emphasized "MOTEL," "TV," "AIR CONDITIONED," et cetera.

Combined with the wording and typography, the age estimate for this sign is Circa 1930–1945, with the strongest probability in the 1930s.

Very Good Original Condition rates a 7/10
• Original paint
• No restoration
• Moderate paint loss and rusting around mounting holes
• Edge wear and surface scratches
• Lettering strong
• Four mounting holes original
• Markings hand-painted or hand-stenciled, not machine-printed
• Painter B. Black’s signature is at the bottom center on both sides and exactly where many local sign painters signed their work
• Fading and wear consistent with a sign that spent years outdoors
• Lettering style of the sign itself professionally executed, supporting the idea that it was produced by an experienced commercial sign painter rather than an amateur.
• Steel thickness of 1.6 mm steel (about 16-gauge steel) is much heavier than modern reproduction signs.
• Not fully flat, .5” overall bend top to bottom, consistent with age weathering
• Honest wear

The sign was acquired from Tinker’s Barn Antiques located in the Champlain Islands town of South Hero, Vermont July 21, 2014 (receipt included with sale). Tinker's Barn, now closed, was a well-known antique and collectibles destination in the Champlain Islands and had handled a great deal of local Vermont material over the years. See less