1930s Porcelain Enamel New York City Subway Sign

Description

This is a one-of-a-kind, nearly perfectly preserved New York City subway sign from the 1930s. It is fabricated in green … more This is a one-of-a-kind, nearly perfectly preserved New York City subway sign from the 1930s. It is fabricated in green porcelain enamel upon steel, and it was installed for decades at as street-level subway entrance to face customers as they descended into the tunnels. The sign dates to the early days of the New York City subway, when rival private companies ran their own services across the five boroughs. The IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit), the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit), and the city-run IND (Independent) operated individually during these years, combined later during unification in the 1940s. This is the reason the different lines of today's MTA utilize subway cars of different sizes and lengths, as the rival companies were little interested in accommodating their rivals' rolling stock.

This is a sign from the Independent System, making use of the now-famous art deco font specifically designed for the IND. To fabricate a sign such as this, a sign-painter would hand stencil the lettering which was then fired in multiple layers of enamel coating to achieve a glossy, resilient surface. The sign is reverse-cut, meaning the white text is the primary layer and actually slightly lower to the touch than the green enamel (an effect known as 'shelving' on these signs). The sign would have been hung on the "E" line, which runs along the 'Queensboro' Queens Boulevard right-of-way into 8th Avenue in Manhattan, then down to the World Trade Center. The sign details a number of possible destinations and transfers, such as Downtown Manhattan or the Bronx.

This sign is in nearly perfect condition despite its 80 years of age. There is extremely minor edge loss on the extreme left and top left corners (documented in photos), and slight variation to the gloss along the sign as a result of years of use, but by and large it is in nearly mint condition. This is an extraordinary example.

This sign is available for New York City pickup, or it can be shipped, but please allow time for packing and handling if shipping is selected. less