vintage american cobalt blue porcelain enameled single-sided exterior bank building security sign. the die cut steel sign was fabricated by or for the william j. burns international detective agency inc. surface wear evident. original mounting hole grommets intact. william j. burns is known for being the director of the bureau of investigation (predecessor to the fbi) from august 22, 1921 to june 14, 1924. he was born in baltimore, maryland and was educated in columbus, ohio. as a young man, burns performed well as a secret service agent and parleyed his reputation into the william j. burns international detective agency, now a part of securitas security services usa. a combination of natural ability as a detective combined with an instinct for publicity, made burns a national figure. his exploits made national news, the gossip columns of new york newspapers, and the pages of detective magazines, in which he published "true" crime stories based on his exploits. measures 9 x 6 inches.