1920s Sign Exposed During Third Street Demolition in San Francisco

[NBachers]

From SFist.com-

http://sfist.com/2011/07/15/1920s_boss_of_the_road_sign_reveale.php



Photo: David Gallagher

During demolition to expand the Bayview library on Third Street, a 1920s sign for Boss of the Road work clothes was exposed. "The sign dates from before 1921, based on San Francisco Assessor's records for the demolished building," reports photographer David Gallagher. "Here's a 1928 shot of the street from the Jesse Brown Cook Collection at UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library."

Nifty.

I'm kind of a nut on old advertising and billboard art that gets uncovered after many years. Sure wish I could drop by and get some Boss of the Road union-made work clothes.

[Lucinda]

1. Very cool!

It looks to be in pretty good condition too.

[xchrom]

2. Awesome. Nt

[mistertrickster]

3. And it's in pretty good condition . . . must have been covered up.

BTW, Round House is a USA company that still makes overalls.

Bought a pair at the local tractor & feed store for less than 30 dollars.

[NBachers]

8. I checked out Round House- they're the real deal

http://www.round-house.com/


That inspired me to go dig out the overalls I've owned since the dawn of time to see if they were Round House. They're Pay Day Union Made, but I don't think Pay Day Overalls is in business any more.

I love the brand names- King of the Road, Round House, Pay Day. Beats the hell out of Company Liquidator, Pump 'N' Dump, or Repub Sleezball

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

13. you think King of the Road, Round House and Pay Day

beats Gap, Roxxxy, Wet Seal, Gucci and Kmart, as far as brand names.....?????

What IS the matter with you.... :):):):):):)

The old stuff is almost always the better stuff....

[indurancevile]

18. there are some others at a link here; prices aren't bad at all.

http://www.unionlabel.com/mens-pants.html

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Beautiful!

That is right down the street from me, I'll have to go check it out. Bayview is a very old part of the City, full of amazing Victorians - unfortunately, it is ungoing some very serious gentrification that will lead to the loss of one of the City's remaining AA neighborhoods. :(

[NBachers]

9. Yeah, I like the neighborhood; I've worked in some of those houses

Strong, sturdy, and well-built. The only saving grace of the current gentrification is, it allows long-time homeowners to get a good sale price if they ever decide to sell. But parts of the Third Street corridor are almost unrecognizable to me now, from the ballpark to 101. It really took off after the Third Street Rail went in.

I always enjoy doing business at G Mazzei & Sons Hardware when I'm working in that neighborhood. They've been in business for three generations, and they're always good people to do business with. That place goes way back into the history of the Bayview.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

20. I live in Portola -

just across from Bay View and have worked at 3rd & 22nd for years now. My time with Bay View goes w-a-y back, when it was old Butchertown, full of slaughterhouses and canning companies. My Grampa worked at Hunter's Point and I spend a great deal of time there as a very young kid. I loved the sound of the Hunter's Point whistle, the jet engines that were made and tested there, and the locomotives that ran along Third.

I work in an old canning company building that has moved from industrial use to full-on tech and high end houtique shit. It is depressing as hell to watch the changes to the area. :( With the Mission Bay development and the 3rd St. rail line, it is intended that Bay View be the new place the MB workers live in. :puke: This will end up being another Western Addition/Fillmore debacle for the existing community.

I love G Mazzei & Sons Hardware! I pass by them everyay on the way home, and shop there whenever I can. I love the atmospher and the amazing array of products you can get there.

[myrna minx]

5. Very cool! n/t

[leeroysphitz]

6. It says "union made" so it must be old.

This is very cool.

[FailureToCommunicate]

21. +1!

[grntuscarora]

7. So Cool!

Is the sign on a building also scheduled for demolition, or will SF be able to preserve the sign? It's a great one!

[NBachers]

10. I'm not sure- I get the impression the building's going to remain,

but the wall may be covered up by the library expansion. It's worth checking into.

[Zorra]

11. Awesome.

I really like things like that, too. There used to be a lot of these kinds of things, like old Flying A gas station signs on the blue highways and back roads in the rural west, but they are scarce nowadays.

It's too bad that more of them weren't preserved.

[gristy]

12. Here's the 1928 shot the article mentions

[Major Hogwash]

17. Wow, no traffic. I wonder what they would think of carmegeddon these days.

Probably that everyone that lives in LA are whiny, little babies.

LoL

[Kablooie]

14. It can't be from the 1920's. It's in color.

[pinniped]

15. There's a Bull Durham Tobacco sign that was totally visible....

until the new CCSF campus on Kearny/Washington st. in SF started construction. It will now remain hidden until the CCSF building has outlived its usefulness and is demolished.

[Snoutport]

16. I'm a nut too for old ads. thanks for sharing!

[indurancevile]

19. Here's more "ghost signs" for the same product: colim & sacramento california.

lots of that stuff here:

http://drkenjones.com/ghostsigns/html/product_0181.html


seems 'boss of the road' was bought by Lee back in the day.