Burma Shave Signs, Americana Advertising

Burma Shave was one of the world's first brushless shaving cream manufacturers and spawned heavy competition for their product. Before Interstates, when everyone drove the old 2-lane roads cross country, small, wooden roadside Burma Shave signs would be posted along the highways.

They were red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 or 5 line couplet and the obligatory following sign identifying Burma Shave.

The signs were addicting; like someone once said, "No one could read just one." We had to read the entire verse, and we knew that the final sign would read, "Burma-Shave". At their height of popularity there were 7,000 Burma-Shave signs stretching across America.

Here Are A Couple Burma Shave Verses

BURMA-SHAVE

GOT OUT OF HAND

WHERE A LIGHTED MATCH

USED TO STAND