Saturdays were always taco night in my house growing up. And the best part of taco night was taco morning, when we would pile in the car and go to the local Mexican store to buy fresh tortillas. We’d bring them home hot and eat them with butter for lunch.
That Mexican store, and its sparse atmosphere, taught me about commerce, and I vividly remember the changeable-letter plastic sign above the counter, listing the food items and their prices. A dozen hot corn tortillas? Twenty-five cents. I’d do the math in my head while my mother rattled off her order.
The changeable-letter sign is, fortunately, still with us in many older independent establishments, though I see them less these days. Click on any image for a larger version. These are from 1939.
The one place I do still see many of these types of sign is in front of churches. Church signs are about the best example of the changeable-letter art form, as they’re usually done with great care and precision. These are from 1961.
I remember the counter at Woolworth’s and the dusty plastic-letter sign announcing the daily specials. All I ever got was a Coke or a hot dog and a stern treatment by the waitress. These are from 1939 and 1942.
At the bank the loan rates and interest payments were prominently displayed in changeable-metal lettering of a high quality — not the cheap plastic kind found at most fast-food restaurants or liquor stores. More from 1939.
Today’s images all came from my assortment of changeable-letter sign catalogs (don’t ask) dating from 1939 to 1967. I suspect the content can be taken at face value — even if the companies made up signs for the catalogs, I assume they would use current prices. So I love looking at what things use to cost.
Go to page 2 to find out how much you would pay in 1949 for a meal of pot roast, French-fried potatoes, lima beans, apple pie, and coffee.
This article was last modified on March 8, 2021
This article was first published on September 10, 2010
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Leave a Reply
I am in search of a sign that can be installed in an exterior cabinet that also has changeable letters. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss. I would also lie to send you a picture of what I need to replicate. Please provide an email address.
“Today’s images all came from my assortment of changeable-letter sign catalogs (don’t ask) dating from 1939 to 1967.”
I’ve really become fond of your weekly reminiscence. And when I read the line quoted above I actually chuckled out loud a little. I was immediately imagining an upstanding gentleman in a starched white button down shirt, secretly swirling the dial on an old fashioned combination lock and easily opening the door to what turns out to be a vast and cavernous vault. A secret treasure trove full of publications and catalogs from years gone by neatly arranged on rows and rows of warehouse like shelving.
Thanks Gene :)
Gene, you are an outstanding resource for making nostalgia pay off in modern times. So many communication ideas, so (relatively) little attention paid to them. Thank you…
I like fried smelt.
…with the tabs that broke off with frequent use…
Gene, our sign hung on until Katrina and the federal levee failure. I had just started printing notices on cardstock for the sign case, just to add a little color and hopefully catch the eye. I had FOUR sizes! A retiring doctor here said, “you look like someone who could get creative with this.” I recently donated all the letters to Recycle for the Arts — then located the undamaged case a month later. Ah, well.