Signs of a bygone era - Burma Shave

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by GDCarrington, Sep 30, 2011.

  1. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

    We have all waxed nostalgic for Burma Shave signs.
    Perhaps one of the most famous and successful marketing campaigns of the last century.
    The Odell family developed the signs and many of the initial jingles before getting average Americans involved.
    Traveling by roads were made better when you could read a Burma Shave signs.
    Truly a bygone product from a bygone era.

    See more details here on the history of Burma Shave.

    http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/hpolscrv/mthomas.htm

    I have started a collection of Burma Shave ads and various items. Feel free to add to it.

    [​IMG]

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  2. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

  3. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

  4. hornm

    hornm New Member

    I guess I haven't been around long enough to have seen any of these but either way...AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for putting these pic's together.

    Michael
     
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  5. I do believe that I saw some still standing on Route 66 in Arizona a couple of years ago.
     
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  6. Mechguy

    Mechguy Well-Known Member

    That is a fantastic set of pictures, my dad used to tell me about those signs when he drove across the country.
    Thanks for those pictures.
     
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  7. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

    Here are some more so keep checking this from time to time.

    [​IMG]

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  8. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

  9. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    Oh, those were the good old days. Grew up in Dallas and would go to Oklahoma every month to see my grandmother and once a year we would take a trip to California to see my other grandmother. The highways to both destinations going both ways were covered with Burma Shave signs.
     
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  10. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    Okay, here is my contribution of six.

    Burma1.jpg Burma2.jpg

    Burma3.jpg Burma5.jpg Burma4.jpg

    Burma6.jpg
     
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  11. alpla444

    alpla444 That's sweet!

    Some nice pics there ive never seen any of those before, thanks for posting:)
     
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  12. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    Well, you would probably have to be gray haired, have loose skin under you chin/jaw line, maybe balding, and a pot belly. I know I meet those qualifications.
     
  13. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

    Well Johnny, I eliminated the grey haired issue by head shaving. The rest...not so much!
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2015
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  14. alpla444

    alpla444 That's sweet!

    Yeah ive got the grey hair thing going on:)
     
  15. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    I see you live in the UK and don't believe these type of signs were ever over there. Just us crazy Americans would post signs like this from coast to coast on every road we could.
     
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  16. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    Well, I don't shave my head bald, but I do use a 1 blade on it.
     
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  17. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

  18. Nick A

    Nick A Active Member

    Thank you for sharing this piece of history with me. I've never seen it before.
     
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  19. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    These signs were disappearing from the landscape about the time you were born, or maybe even 10-years before you were born.
     
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  20. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

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