A sign of bygone times

[Knut dirtfisk]

Dug this sign up in a ghost town in Sierra gold country. This company dates back to the 1870s-early 1900s. Odd thing is it's aluminum, I had no idea aluminum has been in use as sign material
For that long. A small stamp in the lower right corner says simply "Aluminum Co. Newark N.J."

 

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[Knut dirtfisk]

You can't make it out but there is a faded monogram in the wreath of a C&K.

 

[Knut dirtfisk]

They also bottled soda. This one I tumbled and accidentally broke just a few days ago. I was bummed.

 

[A2coins]

Thats still a cool bottle I like that sign thats an awesome piece still legible pretty good shape for being in the ground for that long. That sounds like sweet hunting area.......Tommy

 

[sandchip]

Cool sign with beautiful lettering. What size is it?

 

[Red-Coat]

I love old signs and that’s a cool early example of aluminium, so we can forgive its battered appearance.

Since aluminium is rarely found as a native metal and the process for extracting it from bauxite even in tiny amounts wasn’t developed until about 1825, it was originally regarded as a precious metal. Even by 1852 it still cost $34 an ounce versus gold at $19 an ounce. Further industrial innovations progressively took the price down to about 4 cents an ounce by 1889 and then it really took off for commercial manufacturing of everyday items.

The New Jersey Aluminum Company was founded in Newark in 1890 and was one of three companies that merged to become the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company in 1909 (and relocated to the Midwest), so that’s the timeframe for your sign.

Note that my English spell-checker turns its nose up at ‘aluminum’. To avoid any dispute about correctness, how about… just call me Al.

 

[A2coins]

Great info AL LOL

 

[Mackaydon]

Red-Coat,
Just can't let the "just call me Al" comment go unanswered:

Don.....

 

[cudamark]

I love old signs and that’s a cool early example of aluminium, so we can forgive its battered appearance.

Since aluminium is rarely found as a native metal and the process for extracting it from bauxite even in tiny amounts wasn’t developed until about 1825, it was originally regarded as a precious metal. Even by 1852 it still cost $34 an ounce versus gold at $19 an ounce. Further industrial innovations progressively took the price down to about 4 cents an ounce by 1889 and then it really took off for commercial manufacturing of everyday items.

The New Jersey Aluminum Company was founded in Newark in 1890 and was one of three companies that merged to become the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company in 1909 (and relocated to the Midwest), so that’s the timeframe for your sign.

Note that my English spell-checker turns its nose up at ‘aluminum’. To avoid any dispute about correctness, how about… just call me Al.

Yup, it's a puzzler as to how the English pronounced and spelled certain words different than us Americans. Either you added letters and syllables to words, or we removed them just to be different when our countries were fighting each other way back when. jewelry-jewellery, color-colour, while-whilst, are just a few to add to the list. Oh, and you knuckleheads drive on the wrong side of the road too!

 

[weregolf]

Nice relic

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice find, should display nice!

 

[Joe-Dirt]

That’s a beauty!!! Love the graphics!!

 

[Knut dirtfisk]

It is exactly 12"x7.5".

 

[Trezurehunter]

Very nice looking sign that is showing some great aging.