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Overview
From the late 1800s to the early 1950s, painted wall signs were a major mode of advertisement for both national companies and local businesses across America. Many of these artistic messages, now faded, peeling, and partially covered, still peek out from the storefronts, barns, alleyways, warehouses, theaters, and even stagecoach stops they once decorated. Photographer Jeff Holder and author Cynthia Haas explore this often overlooked art form in Arkansas and show us signs that appear mysteriously in the rain, signs that are curiously painted in remote places, images and words now only half decipherable. From Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Grapette Soda to Kis-Me-Gum, Uneeda Biscuit, and Snowdrift Flour, the logos and slogans are at once familiar and enigmatic. Archival photographs reference the time when these brightly colored messages covered the facades of downtown buildings. Of particular interest in this book are the profiles of three "wall dogs," or sign painters, who remember the difficulties and joys of their unusual profession.Synopsis
From the late 1800s to the early 1950s, painted wall signs were a major mode of advertisement for both national companies and local businesses across America. Many of these artistic messages, now faded, peeling, and partially covered, still peek out from the storefronts, barns, alleyways, warehouses, theaters, and even stagecoach stops they once decorated. Photographer Jeff Holder and author Cynthia Haas explore this often overlooked art form in Arkansas and show us signs that appear mysteriously in the rain, signs that are curiously painted in remote places, images and words now only half decipherable. From Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Grapette Soda to Kis-Me-Gum, Uneeda Biscuit, and Snowdrift Flour, the logos and slogans are at once familiar and enigmatic. Archival photographs reference the time when these brightly colored messages covered the facades of downtown buildings. Of particular interest in this book are the profiles of three "wall dogs," or sign painters, who remember the difficulties and joys of their unusual profession.
Booknews
A collection of color photographs of the now fading painted wall sign advertisements that used to abound throughout Arkansas from the late 1800s to the early 1950s. The accompanying text briefly discusses the locations and histories of these signs and presents a profile of three "wall dogs," or sign painters. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.