For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs,
here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's and '40's.
Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet......and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream.
DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR.
Burma Shave
TRAINS DON'T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP
'CAUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP
Burma Shave
DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
Burma Shave
DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
Burma Shave
BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING, NURSE
Burma Shave
CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER
Burma Shave
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
Burma Shave
AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
Burma Shave
NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU
Burma Shave
A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave
AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY
Burma Shave
BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL
DRIVER'S CODE
Burma Shave
THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING
Burma Shave
CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave
PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW
Burma Shave
Do these bring back any old memories?
If not, you're merely a child.
If they do - then you're old as dirt.. LIKE ME!
(https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=67a8aed43a&view=att&th=1404c6e2f7e67452&attid=0.1.2&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1)Have a great day
I love your post but as I seem to recall in Washington state they were white with black lettering. Possibly my memory is fading or they were white having to do with the fact stop lights are red.
I hope someone comes up with more of the wording and clarifies the color differences.
I seem to recall? They existed into the early 50's I think or when they stopped posting them no one was responsible for taking them down.
Everyone I ever saw back in the day, and I did see more than a few (but none in WA) were white lettering on a red background.
The signs were 11" X 41". I have a real one;.
At the time this house was in planning, I also had a little project in the back of my warped mind. It was a set of half scale Burma shave signs for my driveway, to be set in place for special occasions. They did get made, and used a few times. I used a genuine limerick for them, and they are cute. I have a picture somewhere with them in place. I'll try to find it.
The red I used was Chrysler Impact red from around 1960, as I recall. It was a good match for the real sign I have.
Inca-dentally, on the real sign, it was a last sign in the sequence, so the Burma Shave logo was on both sides. Of course, the lettering on all of he real signs had been silk screening. It turned out that he logo on one side of the sign I have was done with a different silk screen. When it was shot for silk screening my signs, I had to be careful which side was used. They are very different from each other.
There are several books, so it seems, that have a complete listing of the limericks by year. The backgrounds did indeed, vary from the original red. My memory of those signs is vivid, as I was growing up when they were on the roads. It's a wonderful memory. l
That sure brings back memories,
Thanks for the post
Ken D CLC#26801
You mean like this?
Yep.