If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
The mysterious packages kept arriving, some from eBay, others from the Home …
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Just as underclothes are shielded from public view, the evolution of men's most intimate apparel is shrouded in secrecy. But the story of men's underwear is about more …
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The meerschaum pipes carved in Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century are among the most bizarre and improbable concoctions in decorative art. Some feature …
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
While researching her book, "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money," Maureen Stanton came across all sorts of characters. For years, she shadowed her antiques-dealer friend …
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Vintage kites from all over the world hang from the ceiling and walls of Richard Dermer’s popula…
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
“When I got this sword, it was completely covered in blood rust.” Sword maker Francis Boyd is showing me yet another weapon pulled from yet another …
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Have you heard? There’s a new swell in town named Gatsby, and he’s bringing flapper flair back into fashion. Baz Luhrmann’s latest cinematic spectacle—his take on “Th…
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
It’s not unusual for men of a certain age to have a soft spot in their hearts for the look of vintage guitars and the sound…
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Long before Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz swaggered into the spotlight with "American Pickers," writer Maureen Stanton …
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles
The memes are endless—Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat, Maru, and all the Lolcats. Last year even witnessed the first ever Internet Cat Video Fe…
Route 66 Sign | Travel and Highway Signs36 of 78 |  |  |
Zatsoc loves this.
antiquesareamazing loves this.
northwestrelics loves this.
Ronayne loves this.
officialfuel loves this.
chevy59 loves this.
rustyboltz loves this.
tommy1002 loves this.
trunkman loves this.
crabbycorgi loves this.
ttomtucker loves this.
Manikin loves this.AuntieQ18 loves this.
packrat-place loves this.
mikielikesigns2 loves this.
mrmajestic1 loves this.Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate
Posted 1 year ago
daves-desi…
(1 item)
I have an opportunity to acquire this sign and would like to know anything someone with experience can tell me. I have tested it with a magnet and it appears to be aluminum, non-magnetic. I have included a photo of the MGM property tag and the number stamped at the edge on the face of the sign.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Approximate value of sign or similar sign would be of help also.
Thank you, Aberdeen, WA.
Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.
Create an account or login in order to post a comment.
Travel and Highway SignsWhen it comes to icons of the open road, few objects convey wanderlust bett…
was " the grapes of wrath" a MGM movie?
Grapes of Wrath was 20th Century Fox.
Is the sign actual size? The fact that it says Culver City, Cal, instead of CA probably means it's pre zipcodes, so before mid-60s or so. But, it's also possible they used those same tags for years after zip codes, so that's not a certainty.
Do the dots reflect light?
I didn't notice until just now the 1934 date on the back. It would certainly be awesome if you could link this to a particular movie. I suppose you could research MGM films of 1933-35 or so, but it's kind of a long shot.
Yes, the marbels are reflective when a light is shined on them. The sign measures approximately 19" by 19", so I would consider that pretty much full size. On the back there are marks on the mountings that indicate it has been mounted as if used for an actual sign at some point in time.
Thanks for your comments and questions, every little bit makes the sign that much more interesting. Does anyone have a guess as to it's value ? Thanks. Dave
Value would definitely increase if you could show it was used in a well-known film. According to wikipedia, here are MGM's films from 34-36:
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934, plus remake in 1956)
The Thin Man (1934, plus sequels)
The Merry Widow (1934)
Viva Villa! (1934)
The Cat and the Fiddle (1934, first movie featuring MGM's "Tanner the Lion")
Anna Karenina (1935)
A Night at the Opera (1935)
David Copperfield (1935)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935, plus remake in 1962)
Naughty Marietta (1935)
Ah, Wilderness! (1935)
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
Romeo and Juliet (1936)
Rose-Marie (1936)
San Francisco (1936)
Camille (1936)
The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
Libeled Lady (1936)
Well, we know which movies can be eliminated... Route 66 went through the southern part of the US, ending at the West Coast in Santa Monica... so that pretty much eliminates The Barretts of Wimpole St, Anna Karenina, David Copperfield, Mutiny on the Bounty, Broadway Melody of 1936, Rose-Maria, A Tale of Two Cities, Romeo and Juliet.... I'll definitely have to check out the others!
Good call Stef - I'm rooting for The Thin Man, though I don't think it was set anywhere near 66...