Sign Scavenger Hunts

[CanesFan27]

On the North Carolina and Pennsylvania Flickr Highway Sign sites - we have a 2009 scavenger hunt.  Points are awarded for various sign finds - the only rule...the photo must be taken in 2009.

PA Highway Sign Group - http://www.flickr.com/groups/paroadsigns/

NC Highway Sign Group - http://www.flickr.com/groups/nchighwaysigns/

And if you are really bored or a hard core signgeek - as many in this forum are - here's my personal flickr sign set (over 800 shots)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15530177@N05/sets/72157604730606716/

[CanesFan27]

Doug Kerr won the 2009 Pennsylvania Sign Scavenger Hunt
I won the 2009 North Carolina Scavenger Hunt.

The 2010 hunts begin today!

[agentsteel53]

how come a lot of photos are posted in the scavenger groups that seem to have a value of 0?

[CanesFan27]

The scavenger hunt is based on older/obscure signs and what can be found in each state.  Just posting a sign doesn't get points. Also, if they weren't taken in 2009 they didn't receive points.

It's just for fun...I believe Doug is going to have it in New England and New York.  It may also occur in Virginia...but that's Will's group and not mine.

[agentsteel53]

it just makes it harder to find the scavenger-hunt winners when there's a lot of photos of modern NC state shields.  Out of 500+ photos, maybe 30 won some points?

[CanesFan27]

I understand...but some states are easier than others.  And so far it's really my friend Joe and I involved in the NC hunt.  Each state is different...it's something that's been talked about for years...and flickr really gave it the first chance. 

So who knows what will happen in NC...but the fact that any of these are found (especially the black on white crossroads signs) is worthwhile.

Hopefully, a few more of the flickr state groups will start a scavenger hunt in 2010.

[agentsteel53]

is there a way to filter out automatically the zero-point photos from the winners?

[CanesFan27]

No, there isn't.  The scavenger hunt is to encourage further participation in the various groups - not the sole purpose of them.  (or at least the ones I created.)

[WillWeaverRVA]

If I have time I may do this for the Virginia group this year.

[agentsteel53]

well, people sure do like to upload white-diamond-in-black-square NC shields!    the PA page has some excellent old cast-iron guide signs!

NC in general is just very proactive in taking signs down.  Maybe offer a greater reward for finding a rare NC shield than a rare PA, to encourage people who have the means to hit either state to go out and look?  I for one would love to see a '61 spec NC interstate shield.  I have never spotted one, and have found maybe four historic photos.

[CanesFan27]

Jake,

You are correct about NC though the NC 109 cutout did last until at least 2001.  (I have a 2000 photo of it.)  Though I have found more of the black on white town/crossroad signs than I expected.  The crossbuck signs with the interlocking NC's were in Iredell County I just haven't gotten out there in a long time.

As for assigning various points, I kinda do already...in PA I don't give any points for state named shields...in NC they are worth a point.  Button copy - is two points in NC and only one in PA.  Of course there are a number of things that will come up that will earn points in either states.

The Keystone Cast Iron signs are very interesting...as an aside I am assisting with a group to set up ways to restore and even purchase new versions...we have located a foundry and are in the process of creating a website for it.

Will,

Just start with a few items and points...and I have no issue taking care of making the comments and keeping score for you.  E-mail offline or on flickr if you want.

[agentsteel53]

You are correct about NC though the NC 109 cutout did last until at least 2001.  (I have a 2000 photo of it.)  Though I have found more of the black on white town/crossroad signs than I expected.  The crossbuck signs with the interlocking NC's were in Iredell County I just haven't gotten out there in a long time.

alas, I never saw that 109.  The oldest sign I know of in NC is a 1960s 18" Evacuation Route sign with some very old Scotchlite on all but the arrow:



also note the classic Civil Defense logo, as opposed to the hurricane symbol that appears on more modern signs.

that or the US-74 cutout, but I believe that is 70s and originally intended for a green sign.

I did not realize the black on white town signs were rare.  When I was last in NC (July '07) I saw them everywhere in droves.

The Keystone Cast Iron signs are very interesting...as an aside I am assisting with a group to set up ways to restore and even purchase new versions...we have located a foundry and are in the process of creating a website for it.

very cool!  Let me know if you need any help with the fonts and layouts as I tend to be able to pull that kind of information out of photographs quite effectively.

[CanesFan27]

Jake...my mistake, the ones you see at crossroads with the little chevrons weren't what i am referring to.  They are the one for towns like Verona on old US 17.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15530177@N05/3787199496/in/pool-nchighwaysigns

The interlocking NC can still be still found on some of the chevron's.

http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/subs/whitesignnc150-patriarca.jpg

There used to be two of the US 74 cutouts as late as 2004.  And yes that was the typical guide sign cutout NC used for years.

You can kinda see it on the US 29 shield in this photo...takin with a disposable camera (hence quality) in 2000.

http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/oldsigns/old29bgs.jpg

There are still such cutouts on button copy guide signs on where US 19/23/70 meets I-240 in Asheville...the guide signs are in button copy.  Don't have that...but here's how they looked in Greensboro in 2000.

http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/oldsigns/oldus2970220.jpg

As for older than the PA Keystones, the font and layout we have covered.  The task is finding the specs for the original ornamental poles and what may have been on the keystones for towns/geographical features that have since been lost and destroyed.

I have about 40-60 keystones I need to add to this page

http://www.gribblenation.com/papics/keystone/

I've been fortunate to work with the family of the late Fred Yenerall, who took photos of the markers and a lot of great photos of other items through out Pennsylvania in the 1960s and 70s.

http://www.gribblenation.com/papics/keystone/yenerall/index.html

[agentsteel53]

Jake...my mistake, the ones you see at crossroads with the little chevrons weren't what i am referring to.  They are the one for towns like Verona on old US 17.

that I do not remember seeing any of.

The interlocking NC can still be still found on some of the chevron's.

correct, while U.S. was always spelled out if I recall correctly.

There used to be two of the US 74 cutouts as late as 2004.  And yes that was the typical guide sign cutout NC used for years.

I found only one in 2007 but I may not have scoured that area completely carefully.  It is westbound on the bypass.  Was the other one in the same vicinity?

http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/oldsigns/old29bgs.jpg

there is the 1/74/220 set of green signs that were still around as of 2007 as well.

There are still such cutouts on button copy guide signs on where US 19/23/70 meets I-240 in Asheville...the guide signs are in button copy.  Don't have that...but here's how they looked in Greensboro in 2000.

those are the federal standard 1961 spec shields (two and three digit varieties) and they are getting very hard to find all over the US.  For some reason, a lot of states kept the interstate shields with button copy but switched to retroreflective (and even non-reflective!) "fat" shields in 1970 when that federal spec came out, even if the spec did maintain the use of button copy for all shield types.  (South Carolina has a bunch of button copy shields of the newer shape floating around, as does Oklahoma, but hardly any other states used them.)

As for older than the PA Keystones, the font and layout we have covered.  The task is finding the specs for the original ornamental poles and what may have been on the keystones for towns/geographical features that have since been lost and destroyed.

that alas I do not know about offhand.  Can you email me a bit about details about the foundry you're using?  Every once in a while I get the idea to make cast iron highway markers, but the foundries I attempt to work with get caught up on using "modular" molds (i.e. being able to assemble a mold to consist of the keystone, the individual letters, etc)

I've been fortunate to work with the family of the late Fred Yenerall, who took photos of the markers and a lot of great photos of other items through out Pennsylvania in the 1960s and 70s.

http://www.gribblenation.com/papics/keystone/yenerall/index.html

great stuff!  Here's one with a spelling error in it.  Oops!

http://www.gribblenation.com/papics/keystone/yenerall/westlebanon75.jpg

[Dougtone]

The scavenger hunt is based on older/obscure signs and what can be found in each state.  Just posting a sign doesn't get points. Also, if they weren't taken in 2009 they didn't receive points.

It's just for fun...I believe Doug is going to have it in New England and New York.  It may also occur in Virginia...but that's Will's group and not mine.

I am indeed having scavenger hunts for the New York State and New England sign groups on Flickr.  Nothing's been added yet for the New England group this year, but I've already seen a submission for the New York group's scavenger hunt.

New England Signs - http://www.flickr.com/groups/newenglandsigns/
New York Signs - http://www.flickr.com/groups/nysigns/

[froggie]

Trying to remember if I ever sent Adam the keystones I found south of Gettysburg last year...

[Ian]

I just recently got a photo of an old Keystone cast iron creek sign on PA 252 in Media. It was taken two days before New Years, so that doesn't technically count as a sign for 2010. I'll be sure to get another photo of it.

[Dougtone]

I just recently got a photo of an old Keystone cast iron creek sign on PA 252 in Media. It was taken two days before New Years, so that doesn't technically count as a sign for 2010. I'll be sure to get another photo of it.

Yes, the photo has to be taken during 2010 in order to count for the scavenger hunt contests (I am using this rule for my scavenger hunts as well), but there's nothing saying that you can't take another photo of the sign this year.

[CanesFan27]

Yes, anything for 2010 hunts must be taken in 2009.  Of course, photos in 2009 or earlier are always allowed in the flickr groups...they just won't be awarded in the scavenger hunt.

Most likely if it was in the last week of 2009 - I will just update the final point totals from 2009 for the hunt.

[hbelkins]

There are still such cutouts on button copy guide signs on where US 19/23/70 meets I-240 in Asheville...the guide signs are in button copy.  Don't have that...but here's how they looked in Greensboro in 2000.

http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/oldsigns/oldus2970220.jpg

I'm pretty sure I have a few from that intersection -- which is a pretty tricky junction to try to take photos at, due to the weaving and curves involved.

May be back down that way next weekend and will attempt once again to get decent photos as I head south.