Module 3

Rhymes of History: Sign Making

There were many people involved in the development of one type of sign, the neon sign. One person who started the process was a French astronomer named Jean Picard (Bellis, n.d.). In 1675, Picard noticed that a faint glow developed when a tube of mercury was shaken. In 1855, Heinrich Geissler furthered the concept of neon signs by making a glass tube of mercury glow by applying an electrical power. Georges Claude started a company called Claude Neon and displayed a neon lamp in 1910. Claude also sold two neon signs for $24,000 to a Packard dealership in 1923.Another type of sign was a business sign, specifically the pub sign. The ancient Romans are credited with creating the first of these. Signs have evolved over time.

Another type of sign is the billboard. Billboards are credited to beginning with the ancient Egyptians and were made of stone. In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type made the billboard much more versatile and easily produced (Lim, 2011). Billboards were first used to let the town folk know that the circus was coming to town. In the 1900s, billboards became a popular way of advertising and now are a part of Americana. Billboards are still very much a part of the landscape and have transitioned to the digital age. Today’s digital billboards continue to advertise to the public but with greater versatility.

Sign making by professionals still continues to be conducted by businesses but is now evolving into our homes on the desktop or laptop computer. One can now create signs using Microsoft Word (or other program) easily with color, clipart, and different fonts. Once created these signs can be printed on a personal printer or uploaded and printed at businesses, such as Office Depot. There are also many Web 2.0 tools in which to customize the signs to be printed. Block Posters allows one to create a poster any size using many sheets of paper to piece together. One doesn’t have to be limited to inches in a poster but can make a poster in dimensions of feet. Image Mosaic Generator allows individuals to upload a photograph to create an image that can then be included in a sign or poster. Poster It also allows one to upload a photograph that uses multiple sheets of paper in creating a poster. Just add words and you’ve got a sign or poster. Another fun Web 2.0 tool to use in creating signs is Sign Generator. This site allows you to create a sign using a cartoon character, a movie marquee, a decorated cake, and even using the letters in a bowl of alphabet soup. Tuxpi has a motivational poster tool that allows you to upload a picture, add words, select the frame, and the photo effects that you want. The list gets even longer when looking for other Web 2.0 tools that allow individuals to create their own signs. Using Similar Sites, one can choose from many other links to create unique and personal signs.

Thornburg (vodcast) explains that the Rhymes of History is the rekindling of something that we’ve experienced in the past. Creating one’s own signs, no matter the size, is a reflection of times when only professionals or businesses made all the signs needed.

Sources:

Bellis, M. (n.d.). The history of neon signs. Signs of Life. Retrieved January 16, 2011, from http://www.signsandshirts.co.uk/history.html

Laureatte Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Rymes of history featuring Dr. David Thornburg [Video program].

Lim, A. (2011). Billboards: Snapshots of history. Retrieved January 16, 2011, from http://desktoppub.about.com/od/signage/a/billboards.htm

Pub Signs. (n.d.). The history of billboards. Signs of Life. Retrieved January 16, 2011, from http://www.signsandshirts.co.uk/history.html