eric j. nordstrom's old american factory sign collection

the gallery below represents one of my many sub-collections with a focus on early american signs (both vitreous or porcelain and baked-on enameled) that would be found in factory settings dotting the urban landscape.

i selected these signs based on their subject matter, characteristic surface wear, rarity and color scheme. although i've slowed down in terms of acquisition, i will pick one up every now and then if it "speaks" to me. the collection would certainly make for interesting exhibit material, espeically if i had images of the signs "in situ" or the factory they were salvaged from (in some cases i do).

the earliest and highly sought after factory signs were either hand-painted wood or cold-rolled steel signs with a porcelain enameled finish. the sign fabricator i'm especially fond of is the stonehouse steel sign company (denver, co.), which continues to produce the nearly identical "danger" and "caution" signs we see in factories and commercial buildings today.