New Jersey Highway Signing Of The 40's, In The Wild

[hubcity]

As familiar as I am with the look of the old state highway signs New Jersey used, I do like seeing them in actual use. Here's a good shot of the northern end of the US130/US206 concurrence in Bordentown...



Who's got more?

[hubcity]

And another from 1947...



(These last two were from the NJ state archives...)

[NJRoadfan]

That gantry was still up on 1&9 north until the last re-signing project at North Ave., likely 3-4 years ago at this point. What amazes me looking at these old pictures is the complete lack of trees. They must have clear cut most of the state until the mid-20th century because today there is a lot more forest in these areas.

For those interested, here is the link to the state archives: http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/str00001.html

[hubcity]

Where was that gantry? Just north of where North Av crossed 1/9? (I'm trying to find it on Historic Aerials...)

What's interesting, I think, is that there's just the sign pointing to US 1 Express, with (I guess) the assumption that the driver knew the other choice was the Local. Or did they just not put the other sign up yet?

[NE2]

Where was that gantry? Just north of where North Av crossed 1/9? (I'm trying to find it on Historic Aerials...)

from http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/nj/us_1-9/n.html

[hubcity]

Well then, answering the question posed on alpsroads.net, I'd say "1947" was the right answer. In the old photo, it doesn't look like they've actually opened those express lanes yet. 60 years for a gantry ain't bad.

Alas, those were the only "in the wild" pics I could find online at the state archive. There's a few directionals that appear to be at the northern intersection of NJ 35 and NJ 36, but that was all I could find.

(I'd like it if the sources Shorpy.com had included more of this sorta thing...)

[NE2]

1960 photo:

[hubcity]

A 1960 sign on a 1940's stanchion.  (I know I've stumbled across that before, and I figure it's at roughly the intersection between Burnet St. and Albany St - though I could be very wrong.)

There aren't a lot of color pictures of that sign style; I've seen it colored green, and someone had a version of this picture where it was colored red. Did they actually do the latter?

[NE2]

and someone had a version of this picture where it was colored red.

http://oldnewbrunswick.rutgers.edu/JPEGS/George_Bayard_1937.jpg
Is this what you're remembering? It might be false color.

[hubcity]

Actually, it was in the sign gallery here on AARoads...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560181

...but per the comment on this one...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560231

...they (identified there as 1956-spec) were all green with white numbering/border. Which means there must have been signs in that style with pre-1959-renumbering designations, right?

Hm.

[Brandon]

Actually, it was in the sign gallery here on AARoads...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560181

...but per the comment on this one...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560231

...they (identified there as 1956-spec) were all green with white numbering/border. Which means there must have been signs in that style with pre-1959-renumbering designations, right?

Hm.

The first one (red) looks like a false color on a black and white photograph.  I'd say the second one (far more verifiable due to the photographer) is more accurate with the white-on-green.

[Zeffy]

Actually, it was in the sign gallery here on AARoads...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560181

I don't believe for a second that that photo is real. The red is too bright in contrast to the other parts of the photo.

[hubcity]

Oh, it's definitely colored after the fact. No idea why they'd color it red, though.

But enough about the '56 spec...mo' 40's & 50's guide signs and highway markers!

[Alps]

Actually, it was in the sign gallery here on AARoads...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560181

...but per the comment on this one...

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NJ19560231

...they (identified there as 1956-spec) were all green with white numbering/border. Which means there must have been signs in that style with pre-1959-renumbering designations, right?

Hm.

The conventional thinking had been that this was only done on a few routes - perhaps only in cities - but "23 NORTH" up at High Point would indicate that it was done everywhere. Green for the Garden State? Why couldn't we have kept that? California did.