Painted Wall
Painted wall signs appeared around the turn of the century. As buildings grew taller and the automobile became more dominant, painted signs grew larger and were placed just below the roofline. The first half of the 20th century marks the heyday for this type of advertising, but painted wall signs are still being produced in today.
Earlier signs were smaller and simpler, as seen in the image below.
Small Painted Wall Sign: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and Highland Lodge
As advertising competition increased and the automobile congested commercial districts, painted wall signs became overpowering, often encompassing the entire façade of a building. Note also the emphasis on graphics over words in the image below.
Painted Wall Signs: Image courtesy of John A. Jakle, Signs in American's Auto Age: Signatures of Landscape and Place, 2004. Image courtesy of
