Burma Shave

[mbrood]

For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs,

 

 

 

here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's.

 

 

 

Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields.They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet......and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream.

 

 

 

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW

OUT SO FAR

IT MAY GO HOME

IN ANOTHER CAR.

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

TRAINS DON'T WANDER

ALL OVER THE MAP

'CAUSE NOBODY SITS

IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH

BY MISTAKE

SHE THOUGHT IT WAS

HER HUSBAND JAKE

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD

TO GAIN A MINUTE

YOU NEED YOUR HEAD

YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

DROVE TOO LONG

DRIVER SNOOZING

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

IS NOT AMUSING

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

BROTHER SPEEDER

LET'S REHEARSE

ALL TOGETHER

GOOD MORNING, NURSE

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

CAUTIOUS RIDER

TO HER RECKLESS DEAR

LET'S HAVE LESS BULL

AND A LITTLE MORE STEER

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

SPEED WAS HIGH

WEATHER WAS NOT

TIRES WERE THIN

X MARKS THE SPOT

Burma Shave

 

 

 

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE

OF PAUL FOR BEER

LED TO A WARMER

HEMISPHERE

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

AROUND THE CURVE

LICKETY-SPLIT

BEAUTIFUL CAR

WASN'T IT?

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

NO MATTER THE PRICE

NO MATTER HOW NEW

THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE

IN THE CAR IS YOU

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

A GUY WHO DRIVES

A CAR WIDE OPEN

IS NOT THINKIN'

HE'S JUST HOPIN'

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

AT INTERSECTIONS

LOOK EACH WAY

A HARP SOUNDS NICE

BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL

EYES ON THE ROAD

THAT'S THE SKILLFUL

DRIVER'S CODE

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

THE ONE WHO DRIVES

WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING

DEPENDS ON YOU

TO DO HIS THINKING

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

CAR IN DITCH

DRIVER IN TREE

THE MOON WAS FULL

AND SO WAS HE.

Burma Shave

 

 

 

 

PASSING SCHOOL ZONE

TAKE IT SLOW

LET OUR LITTLE

SHAVERS GROW

Burma Shave

 

 

 

Do these bring back any old memories?

If not, you're merely a child.

 

 

 

If they do - then you're old as dirt..LIKE ME!

[etcswjoe]

Morning,

 

 

Thanks for sharing

[Yammer Dan]

Seen a few of those. They must have been really old signs......

[Bubber]

There were a lot of those here in the Mid-west but like a lot of things they faded away.

Wall Drug in South Dakota uses a similar approach from about 100 miles away from Wall Drug.

[frankd]

Said Farmer Brown

Who's bald on top

Wish I could

Rotate the crop

 

BURMA SHAVE

[Condor]

I remember those while driving back cross-country in my folks '29 Model A from California to New York and back in the mid 40's. I wonder if any are left in collections. A big part of Americana.... Some of those rhymes posted above may not be original??

[starrider60]

i recall seeing them in west texas when the dust was not blowing too hard.

[mbrood]

Some places in Idaho picked up the attraction. Going from Twin Falls to Boise... in a stretch of barren foothills... no water for miles and miles... sits a sign along the side of the road... no fishing within 100 feet of this sign.

[frankd]

I remember seeing them during the late '50s while we were driving up to northern Wisconsin. I used to love reading them, hoping that it was a new one that I hadn't seen before.

[Pegasus1300]

When driving from New Orleans to Salt lake City with my parents in the 50's and 60's I remember seeing them in Louisiana and East Texas. We used whatch for hours for the next one hoping to see a new one.

[1joeranger]

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-burmashave.html

[Howard B]

You forgot one. If not more. This one is still standing just south of the south entrance to Yellowstone.

 

We saw wildlife

 

From afar

 

Until we hit them

 

With our car.

 

Happens more often than it should.