The European Version Of The Burma Shave Billboards:

February 3, 2002 5:32 PM

The European Version Of The Burma Shave Billboards: An obsessive Belgian collector, apparently called Bartolomeo Mecánico, has assembled an amazing online gallery of old painted roadside advertisements.
posted by MiguelCardoso (7 comments total)

Oh, these are lovely, Miguel. I take photos of old faded roadsigns all the time and, tho I'm not quite this obsessive, I love seeing faded signs I wouldn't ordinarily have a chance to see...let alone photograph. Thanks.
posted by realjanetkagan at 6:24 PM on February 3, 2002

'burma shave' ads are the cornerstone of modern jingoism.
posted by clavdivs at 7:57 PM on February 3, 2002

Jingoism is this year's black.

I gots new wall paper. Thanks, Miquel.
posted by dong_resin at 8:37 PM on February 3, 2002

And Miguel. Both of you.
posted by dong_resin at 8:47 PM on February 3, 2002

Wall Drug was one of the wackiest places/things I've ever seen, and the signs went on for miles.
posted by owillis at 9:33 PM on February 3, 2002

I like these a lot--there is a house in my neighborhood that used to have several old metal signs nailed about the door, right next to a corner grocery that had those old huge round red Coca Cola signs--until it changed hannds and they disappeared overnight, bought some collector.

I also like ghost signs, the old painted advertisements on the sides of older brick buildings. Older is a relative term in Seattle, where the oldest wood framed building is from 1880. It's even more relative since the building boom that began in the late 70s and never quit. There is hardly a store or restaurant of bar in this town that dates from the year I moved here: 1967. And the ghost signs on the old brick buildings are disappearing, covered by ew painted signs everywhere, most often the image of some local sports star who then jumps ship and moves to another city.
posted by y2karl at 11:12 PM on February 3, 2002

Aside from the visual appeal, the ads' claims are fun, too. Evidently Belgians used to brag about their clothing generating static electricity.

Thanks, Miguel. Another happy link.

PS: No offence is intended to my Belgian compatriots.
posted by skyscraper at 1:28 PM on February 4, 2002