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Making of Original Enamel Signs


MHV9218

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Thought I'd share this pretty interesting blueprint of the designs for one of the city's old porcelain enamel pieces. I don't own either the print (subcartophile photo, available for sale) or the sign (ktorreg photo, sold for $375), but I thought I'd share anyway. This is how the signs were initially drawn up, and then the designs were sent to an enamel company (usually Baltimore Enamel, Nelke, Manhattan Dial, Vitreous Enamel and Stamp, or Ingram-Richardson) and cast. They were generally installed on pillars and other areas from the 1920s and 1930s on, and most lasted until the 1970s. As you can see, this is a 1939 blueprint. Note the "New York Rapid Transit Corporation" labeling, a relic of the BMT/BRT.

 

bmt%20blueprints_zps81tsbkym.jpg

 

(subcartophile {Peter Lloyd} photo)

 

court%20st%20sign_zpsgfh3pb3j.jpg

 

(ktorreg photo)

 

I've got a couple porcelain enamel signs for Grand Central, Chambers Street, Delancey Street, and a No Smoking - Spitting piece as well...some photos are in the Your Transit Memorabilia thread, but I can post them here if any are interested. If any others have some of these signs, I'd be curious to see them. Great era of hand-stenciled art deco font signs, in my opinion.

 

 

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