“Signs of The Times” was a recent program of the Andover chapter of New Hampshire Circle of Home and Family (NHCHF). We had a good time remembering signs that were popular when we were younger. Roadside farmers would get their barn painted for free if an ad could be painted on the side facing the road.

Imagine how difficult it would be to get around without signs! How would you know which street to take, where your favorite store or restaurant was located , or which exit to take on the highway? What would Broadway or Las Vegas be without their flashing signs? How would you know what was in a can without a picture on the outside?

Signs have been around since early times, when man first figured out a way to express himself artistically. Cave drawings are a good example of this form of communication.

In Greek and Roman times, signs were used to identify businesses, workshops, taverns, churches, and other important places. Picture signs were necessary, as many of the population were illiterate.

As time went by, signs became very elaborate and increased in size to the point where they became dangerous. As early as the 1700s, laws were enacted to control the size and placement of signs. In the 18th century, gas lighting and electricity ushered in a whole new world of signs.

In the early 1900s, we saw a lot of roadside advertising like billboards. Who doesn’t remember those famous Burma Shave signs? They were a series of signs, usually six, each with a part of a poem, and the poem always ended with the words “Burma Shave.” Here’s an example:

A shave that’s real.
No cuts to heal.
A soothing, velvet
After feel:
Burma Shave.

As kids on a trip, we looked forward to these signs and sayings.

Billboards were fun, too. Some are so famous that they have historic status, like the Citgo sign in Boston’s Kenmore Square, which marks the location of nearby Fenway Park.

As TV and computers came on the scene, advertisers could reach a larger population, and these signs faded away. Signs in one way or another provide employment for millions of people.