I happened upon these Burma Shave signs recently, and thought I would share this bit of nostalgia, particularly with those of you who are old enough to remember the days when highway travel meant frequent encounters with these Burma Shave witticisms.
You should ride in RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) as Burma Shave signs are a common fixture along the route.
I didn’t think they still existed!
I have never seen those before! Those really add some personality to a long drive. The beautiful scenery of the country doesn’t hurt either, though.
I recently came across an old book that I had read when I was young. “Verse By The Side Of The Road” by Frank Rowsome, Jr. It tells the Burma Shave story from start to finis, and includes the text of all the signs ever put out on the highways. I’m reading it again, and I find it even more fascinating than I did when I was young. I’ve never seen the signs, though. There are no pictures in the book, only quite good drawings. I’ve always wondered what they looked like. Thanks for sharing!
Can you tell me who took these photos? I’d like to see about getting permission to use them.
Ruth – I took these photos. You may use them as you please, provided you do not hot-link to them directly from my server (in other words, save them to your computer, and utilize them as you like from there).