Subway/trolley rollsigns are the signs that announced the destination and route (line) of the trains.
Riders boarding the A train on March 20, 1933
They work like the roll of music that goes in a player piano, or the tape within a cassette tape. The train operator simply turns a mechanical crank that causes the roll to move up and down until the desired reading shows in the window of the signbox.
Front rollsigns were displayed on the front of the train above the train operators position.
VIntage front route (left) and destination (right)
Side rollsigns were displayed on the side of each car, both inside and out.
Contemporary side destination
Vintage oilcloth signs are a huge challenge to find. They are made of a thick canvas type of material protected by a layer of resin. They date from the very early 1900's to the 1970's.
Vintage oilcloth front destination rollsign (partially unfurled)
Unlike other sign vendors, all the vintage oilcloth signs I offer, unless otherwise specified, are painstakingly cleaned to remove surface grime.
Before (left) and after (right) cleaning an antique sign. The black on the paper towel is surface grime that simply wipes off. After that, I use a special 'dry cleaning' process to clean the lettering. The process has no effect on the sign other than to remove almost 100% of surface grime from years on the rails.
All my signs are vintage pieces, no replicas here.
All frames are custom made.
All mats, glass, and plexiglass are custom cut.
Make me an offer if you see something you'd like to purchase from my store and the price isn't quite right.
Absolutely all offers will be considered.
For a price comparison, here's a framed pair of signs for $1,600.00 and a 2/3 scale Monster-in-Law sign for $1,800.00. I charge a fraction of that for the same thing.
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