Late 19th Century Antique Hand Painted Bold "Store" Wood Trade Sign

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Description

Brilliant in its simplicity. A hand painted sign on wood stating: STORE. The beauty is in the bold, flat black … Read more Brilliant in its simplicity. A hand painted sign on wood stating: STORE. The beauty is in the bold, flat black capitals spelling of the word. It's painted in the era's quirky style, that mixes heavy block-letter body with curving calligraphic touches. The letters are tall and condensed, with thick vertical stems and very little space between them. They fill the board edge to edge, which gives the sign a punchy, readable look from a distance. We Especially like the flared terminals: THE S, T, R and E all have pointed, swooping ends. The S flares into sharp spurs at the top and bottom, the T's arms curve down into points, and the E's arms end in a barbed, leaf-like shapes; the middle of the E is marvelous. The white spaces inside the letters are rounded, bulbous shapes, and read almost like cut-out lobes, so the letters look sculpted rather than drawn. The white painted plank is framed in black and obtain its original two metal hooks. The sign came out of New York State. It seems to documenter stated it came out of Hoags Corner NY.

The late 19th - early 20th century sign fits the American vernacular lettering, when local sign painters often worked freehand with distinctive flourishes. Those individual quirks are a big part of what makes pieces like this collectibles.

Circa: Late 19th - Early 20th Century
Condition: Consistent with age and wear
Dimensions: 29" W x 1 1/2" D x 14" H See less