Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-02-16
SIDEWALK STREET
SIGNS THE LATEST

coiored letters or figures and imhed-
dcd in cement sidewalks ore ono ot
Inc most recent innovations in Amer
lcan city architecture, says Charles
James Fox in Municipal Enrineerjnc
for February.
Inc plan Of lettering street names
in the sidewalk has been tried il,
Kansas City on all the large boule-
wards; the main idea being not to
disfigure the streets and houses by
the usual painted igns that are
placed on the walls of corner houses
or Fastened to the lamp posts or 9th.
CT conspicuous places al the inter
section Of the streets. In Kansas
City. the name Of each boulevard is
spe led out in letters from six 70
eight inches high. The letters are
formed with stones about one-ha1t
inch square laid in the cement side
walk, similar to the tile or cerami,.
mosaic work which is now so fr2.
1uently seen in the vestibulcs of
stores, Offices or other buildings the
entrance to which are level with the
sidewalk. There is no doubt that
the sidewalk at the corner of the
street is the most convenient loca-
ton for a street sign. Pedestrians
can see 1t DIT glance and if the let
tiers are Of sufficient size, the sign
can be easily read by the drivers in
the street. If there is q lamp post
or electric light on the corner the
sign cen be distinguished almost as
easily il it We're affixed TO the light
itself.
Almost everyone has experienced
the annoyance of searching the walls
of buildings the fences, or the tops
Of lamp posts in order to find the
name of the street for which one is
looking. The lack of uniformity in
the location of street names IS no.
ticeable in nearly all of our cities.
Frequently they are placed on the
walls Of buildings and the small sign
is often lost among the advertisine
notices or ARCHITECTURAL details of the
building upon which it is affixed
Then they are placed upon the side
before being able to distinguish the
lettering. The street signs attached
to lamp posts are frequently broken.
and are sometimes even turned
around so as TO cause confusion as
to which intersecting streets the
name applies.
When the signs are laid out in
colored letters on the sidewalk they
are easy to locate and are never de.
stroyed Or inverted. AS far as find
ing them is concerned, it would be
impossible to conceive a better 1oca-
ton. because even the most careless
or hurried pedestrian is compelled to
look at the sidewalk if only in order
to see where he is going.
Besides its mere utility, the adop-
ton of the sidewalk street sign
would prevent the Disagreement of
buildings by the affixing of painted
signs to the walls. Everyone has
noticed how the architectural beauty
OF building, costing thousands OF
dollars, has been married by a cheap
metal Or wooden sign spelling out
the name of the street.
Recognizing the advertising value
of sidewalk lettering, many mer-
chants in cities where it is not pro-
hibited by municipal ordinances have
the names of their stores, together
with a short announcement of their
business, spelled out in the sidewalk
where even the passerby who is too
hurriedly to glance at their display
windows cannot help reading what
is placed directly under his feet.
Brass, marble and other materials,
and the clay tile have been used to
form thes letters. Although the
clay tile Is harder than the cement,
it take q Ing time before the side
walk is ~ down even fraction
of an below tho level Of the
hard b. :. : clay lettering.