1906 Rawson & Evans sign on shorpy

[Patrick Mackle]

I jump onto shorpy to clear my head of the present and get lost in the past. Mostly viewing old store fronts, street scenes, and vehicles.
The clarity of those old glass silver colloid photos are astounding. Anyway, last night I could not believe my eyes when I magnified up to full
and began dissecting each sign under the board walk beginning on the left side of the street, nothing too outstanding there, but on the right side, just above the two boys in the ICE wagon- a sight to behold!
Check it out under "Royal Street: 1906" at http://www.shorpy.com/node?page=26
PS: check out the two little kids in the "Buster Brown" outfits! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Bro ... _and_story
Pat

[Chris Lovelady]

it looks like the sign above the buster brown kids looks like stained glass!....great site!

[Robare M. Novou]

Nice Find Pat!

It also may have been a Western Sand Blast Sign. Can you read the makers name at the bottom of the sign?

It looks kinda like one in the Western Sand Blast Catalog...but it also looks like an R&E Sign.

From the W.S.B. Catalog, The Page Title says...

"Double-Sided Jewel Electric Signs for Outside"

(the sign in the shorpy photo looks single sided.)

The Catalog Description states the following...

"Plate Glass, Clear Jewel Letters, Silver Ornamentation. Black Background.
Frame of Bevel Plate Silver Chipped Scallops."

Additional information at bottom of page states...

"Electric lighted from inside, or made for gas or oil if desired.
We furnish iron hanging bar and supporting chain with these signs."

"Prices on Application"


Here is a view of a Sign Shop from a photo of the same site.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/4771

[Patrick Mackle]

Robert,
I magnified the signature up as far as I could and although I can't read the signature clearly, I thought the bulk and spacing of the words fit the R&E signature. However the photo states 1906, so I wonder if Western SB was a competing sign company or had R&E been acquired by Western SB that early. Does anyone truly know the accurate time line as to Western taking over? I know Rick and I spent some time at his shop looking at pictures from inside Western from when he visited there. I remember it seemed poorly lit and there were unbelievable amounts of sand residue in the corners! I believe it was around that time he began to buy zinc metal and etch it to make reusable sandblast metal stencils with bridges to hold the letter centers in place.
He told me while he was visiting at Western that he had seen them acid etching a piece of flashed glass in the shop and that every time the man passed the etching tray, he would pick up a feather and brush the dissolved glass off the etching. Seems to me that Rick was there with some other letterhead(s), possibly Kent Smith or Todd Swormsted??
Anybody else recall info about this visit to Western sand blast??
Pat

[Kent Smith]

Yes I was there, so was Mike, Neal Hayes and Joe Balabusko. I really was never clear on the timeline. Rick new more about that. I suspect Cincinnati, Western and R&E all copied each other as well as popular texts of the era. If my other research is correct, then there were also many small companies which did similar glass signs and immitated the leaders.

We picked up the original zink stencil for Western Sandblast as well as a number of other pieces. I was able to come back with an original (broken in half) Creators Popcorn wagon sign.

There was sand and shards of glass as well as glue chuncks everywhere. There also was a roll-off dumpster more than half full of broken glass. They were clearing out after Mr. Pine died. The only one there was Willie as it was late afternoon.

[Robare M. Novou]

I drove by the old western sand blast location last year...its gone Condo! Or turned into apartments. Either way, its the end of an era.

And Neil Hayes...has anyone seen or heard from him.

Hey Neil ! Are you out there?!

There was or is this Sign on Ebay. It's reverse glass, and is priced not to sell, at around $2000.00.

Its been showing up a few times for the past few years...maybe longer than a few. I seem to remember seeing it in Neils Shop back in the early 90's, as he owned it. Maybe he pasted away, and the sign ended up in the hands of a dealer, not sure. I have even tried to track down his sign shop in Chicago....no luck.

Anyone out there got any info on Neil please post it here. I miss that rascal !

And yes Pat, to bad that signature is hard to read....would be interesting to know for sure.
Competing, Stealing Ideas, Lawsuits, all in a days work back then for R&E and Western...bitter rivals.

Rawson and Evans closed shop in the early 40's, sold the assets to Western. Samuel Evans Jr. and family moved to California in 1951, He past away in 1952 in the hospital.

The weird part is that a year after R&E closed down....some other outfit opened up..."Evans Sign Co."

Not sure who that was, it may have been a blood relative of Samuel Evans Sr., who decided to go on his own using the R&E Name and Reputation. But this is only speculation on my part. I searched the phone book records from the 40's at the Chicago Historical Society, to try and pin down the exact date. 1942 is the last phone ad or listing for R&E.
1943 is when the Evans Sign Co. Ad started appearing. I believe it ran for a few years and then vanished.

It could be that Samuel Evans Jr. started the Evans Sign Co. and closed it just prior to his moving to California.

RMN

[erik winkler]

Who is this guy?

Who.jpg (48 KiB) Viewed 24311 times

Erik

[DAVE SMITH]

That is the head of Erik and the body of Bruno Sweig, hows that for guess. you need a little more feathering on the neck Erik the join is not perfect yet.
Dave

[erik winkler]

Dave you are the winner!
You have just won a free guided tour through Amsterdam by yours truly.
Ofcourse you had a little skype hint...
Well for a two minute photoshop with a head that was turned to the other side it wasn't that bad.

Erik Schweig

[Patrick Mackle]

Erik,
Try it again, but this time photoshop both you AND Bruno onto the same body ala Monty Python style.
Pat

[Robare M. Novou]

Erick Schweig....yeah right

More like "Carlton The Door Man" from "Rhoda"....you remember "Rhoda"...that TV show from the 70's.

Carlton, the drunken doorman in Rhoda's building, was played by Lorenzo Music. He was often heard on the intercom, but almost never seen, only his arm occasionally appearing from doors. He is seen from the back in one episode in which he hitches a cab ride with Rhoda and her friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV0PCc_D ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1RzwxEK_k

RMN

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz....Who is it?

[erik winkler]

Looks more like Dan Sawatzky...

Robare, you must stop sniffing those books or otherwise you will end up like this guy Milton:
Robare high on cellulose

With love,

Erik Schweig

[Patrick Mackle]

Looks like a 1900's Rawson & Evans chipped and silvered big corner Cigar Store sign posted on Shorpy.com. And across the street is The May Company/Outfitters store.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/10891?size=_original
Pat

[Leo Calleros]

http://www.shorpy.com/node/5148?size=_original

Saw this Wooldworths store. Glue shipped numbers and letters above the door. Not R&E, though.

[Patrick Mackle]

Leo,
Nice find, thank you for the link. Keep looking
Pat

[Patrick Mackle]

I found this link a while ago, but it always makes me feel positive to look at the past when I feel a little low. These old music machines actually incorporate many of the skills we all love, carving, brush work, gilding, brilliant cutting, and fancy mirrors can all be found on these instruments.
On occasion I have had the true pleasure of replacing a broken piece for restorers who thought there was nobody left that had the equipment or knowledge to replicate a broken or missing glass or mirror to match a surviving mate.

The music from some of these treasures send vibrations through your very soul like no stereo speaker ever could. The sensation they give is like touring Heaven while still on earth. Standing in the presence of one can make you tremble in the knees when it strikes the right note. I sometimes feel like their musical power can actually heal you. They evoke a deep feeling of childhood for me, of fun and curiosity. As well as an appreciation of man's inventiveness.
Enjoy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_pgh1CctAQ

Honor the true craftman.
Pat

[erik winkler]

Pat,

I selected this one for you.
Amsterdam

Erik