Burma Shave signs

[Rog0525]

Younger members might not remember these amusing roadsigns where each line of the limerick was posted seperately along the roadway but I sure do and wouldn't it be great to have them back? Wouldn't it be nice to have the kids reading funny limericks instead of fighting over the palm pilot games?
They made long trips less boring and Sunday drives more fun. Ok oldtimers, enter the nostalgic days of yesteryear, put down your rivet shaver and post your favorite Burma Shave jingles.
Remember this one?

Shaving brush

Was like

Old rover

When he died

He died all over

Burma-Shave

[Silvertwinkie]

Being in my early 30s, I find (from what others have told me) that we are pretty much some of the youngest in the Airstream groups.

I read about these signs and think that it was a pretty neat/clever idea.

Today however, as much as I'd like to see them return, the fact is that there are too many things (TVs in cars, DVDs in cars, Palm games, sat radio, game boy, etc, that simply will not allow those special years to come back.

I long for a more simple time, but then I think that if it weren't for a more complicated time, I would prob be unemployed (computers).

Still, when go out boating, even though I take the GPS, I still made myself understand now to navigate without it.

Eric

[85MH325]

And remember that in between the Burma Shave signs were signs giving the mileage to Wall Drug?

[Pahaska]

My dad liked to take a Sunday afternoon drive around central Pennsylvania; reading the Burma Shave Signs was a big part of the fun for my brothers and I.

Now that I'm a naturalized Texan, this one rings a bell:

To kiss
A mug
That's like a cactus
Takes more nerve
Than it does practice
Burma-Shave .

[53flyingcloud]

That's cute John...

Here's my favorite~!

SAID FARMER BROWN

WHO'S BALD ON TOP

"WISH I COULD

ROTATE THE CROP"

BURMA-SHAVE

ciao

[femuse]

They say the mind is the first thing to go: Mike remembers seeing those all over.... cannot remember a single one though !!!!

[Porky Pig]

There is a great book documenting the Burma Shave campaign. It's called "The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles" by Frank Rowsome, Jr.

I remember seeing a few back in the late 50s ... in 1961 we moved from Kansas to California ... drove all the way ... saw quite a few on that route!

My favorite one is:

To get away
From hairy apes,
Women jump
For fire escapes.

[Rog0525]

Was raised in Butler (western PA) and sunday drives in our '49 Willys Jeepster were a family ritual. After we moved to Michigan, we made occasional pilgrimages back to Butler. The 2 things my 2 brothers and I liked the best about those 12 hour trips (no Xways back then) were reading the Burma Shave signs and the
foot long hot dogs at a truck stop in Ohio.

Burma-Shave
Was such a boom
They passed
The bride
And kissed the groom

[Chas]

Well before my time on this earth but do remember seeing one spread out on a wall in a local restaurant.

Just a partial memory, maybe someone can fill in the blanks?? Of course it has some reference to shaving, the fuzz of a peach!

(Never mind, I found it on with help of a later post, edited 5/19, thanks mh325)

A peach

looks good

with lots of fuzz

a man's no peach

and never wuz

Burma Shave



Chas

[heybeep]

On "curves ahead"

Remember, sonny

That rabbit's foot

Didn't save

The bunny.

Burma Shave


There are web sites with virtually all signs saved for posterity. Try www.fiftiesweb.com.

[85MH325]

I was curious... I figured someone had to have a collection of these on-line.

Try this site:

http://www.nidlink.com/~dgookin/burma_shave/

They have them listed by YEAR!

[85MH325]

And a Burma Shave logo, courtesy of:

http://www.mc.cc.md.us/Departments/hpolscrv/mthomas.htm

[canny_banjo_man]

Hi All...
U Kn, U guys makin me cry over here...how come we NEVER had that kind of thing ???...I got a few repo signs of Route 66, plus tin signs of old posters showin Yr old classic cars, an a dozen or so license plates...
I read my R-66 books an c the Jack Rabbit an spaceman, an all the other signs...people say the dinosaur are extinct...WRONG, we still ALIVE .... we ALL live in this place named ENGLAND...what happened 2 U lot...how come U did ALL that CRAZY GREAT stuff?
Was it in the name of advertising ???...an I thought God had a sense of humour when he made ME...well he must have a GREAT day when he made the " STATES "...an I love it all, why do U think we keep on comin over there 4 our vacation...LOL, U Guys take it all serious, all this advertising stuff...take John Deere...an Tupperware...it's an ICON...let's NOT 4get the AIRSTREAM...who remembers the adverts 4 those...tell us abt it, PLEASE, Iy'd LOVE to read abt 'em...
Thank's 4 puttin a smile on my face, enjoy Yr Evening...Chris.....

[maznblu]

As we each learned to read, we'd drive our parents crazy reading the Burma Shave signs aloud. Here's my favorite:

Frank lit a match

To check gas tank.

That's why they call him

Skinless Frank!

Burma Shave