Taking her into my office, I couldn’t wait to tap away at my laptop to look for not only examples of the old Burma-Shave roadside signs, but also details about the concept to help educate us both about the history of the phenomenon.
Back then, I shared with her information including pictures regarding Burma-Shave that I found on Wikipedia.com . For this, my updated version of that column, I found some great details at LegendsofAmerica.com .
According to that website: Burma-Shave was a brand of brushless shaving cream that was sold from 1925 to 1966. The company was notable for its innovative advertising campaign, which included rhymes posted all along the nation’s roadways. Typically, six signs were erected, with each of the first five containing a line of verse, and the sixth displaying the brand name. The Burma-Shave sign series appeared from 1925 to 1963 in all of the lower 48 states except for New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Four or five consecutive billboards would line highways, so they could be read sequentially by motorists driving by.
In that first column, and again now, I have included a photo that I found on Wikipedia.com. Thanks to the amazing world of the internet, I was able to find the photographer and received his gracious permission to run the photo you see here. I have also included below some Burma-Shave sign examples that I also found on Wikipedia.
Some of my favorites are ones grouped under those used in 1955, the year of my birth. They are:
Dinah doesn’t/Treat him right/But if he’d/Shave/Dyna-mite!/Burma-Shave
The big blue tube’s/Just like Louise/You get/A thrill/From every squeeze/Burma-Shave
To change that/Shaving job/To joy/You gotta use/The real McCoy/Burma-Shave
The monkey took/One look at Jim/And threw the peanuts/Back at him/He needed/Burma-Shave
Slow down, Pa/Sakes alive/Ma missed signs/Four/And five/Burma Shave
Earlier this week I decided to create my own versions of what modern advertising road signs might look like— ones I would like to see used for some of our advertisers. See what you think:
We love our diners/young and old/try our food/and you’ll be sold/Golden Eagle Restaurant
The Golden Years/they aren’t so bad/come live with us/and you’ll be glad/Bixby Knolls Towers
Yummy seafood/that’s our dish/you’ll find our freshness/quite delish/Fisholicious
For deli food/we are the best/in Bixby Knolls/come be our guest/Bixby Brooklyn Deli
Our tiny cakes/will make you glad/you’ll say out loud/the best I’ve had/Bundts on Melrose
For plays up close/you can’t deny/sit by our stage/you’ll laugh and cry/ LB Playhouse
We love your pets/just like our own/for dogs and cats/just call our phone/Pet Concierge
For spaghetti/pizza too/we make it fresh/we really do/Big E Pizza
If you need wine/or spirits rare/ours are superb/you’ll love to share/The Wine Country
As Village People/sang so sweet/you can find it here/great folks you’ll meet/YMCA
When needing microwaves/that heat/check us out/we’re on Spring Street/Friedmans
If entertainment/you do crave/stage musicals/you’ll surely rave/Musical Theatre West
Italian food/do take a date/they’ve served the public/since ’58/Nino’s Ristorante Italiano
