These signs, seen most commonly in photos of the Downtown Area, give a tough and rugged impression.  It appears that they were simply White Letters on a Blue backgound, placed into a thick metal frame.  It is not certain whether the letters were stamped in, stuck on, or simply painted on.  Many of these signs lasted until about the 1950's when they were replaced with the newer style.

These signs, in use since 1921, were reasonably durable, but were disliked by some as they were difficult to make out in night time hours.  This would inevitably lead to their replacement.

Introduced in 1938, these signs originally consisted of White (or clear) letters on a Black background, and were intended to make sign reading far easier in night time hours.  The setup was quickly changed to black letters on a frosty white background.  These signs, originally costing the city $15 a piece were slow to replace earlier styles, largely as a result of World War II.  In the postwar period, financial burdens continued to make their acquisition and installation slow, but by the 1950's, they became increasingly prevalent on corners across the city.  They were a versatile sign which could be mounted a number of different ways:
 

1. Surrounding a Gas Light,	2. Hung from an extension bracket on a taller light pole (or Utility Pole), or
3. Mounted on a Bracket and hung to illuminate from a "Novalux" style lamp post.

These signs, while certainly useful at night when illuminated, had the tendency to be fragile, and many could be spotted in broken condition with cracked or missing plastic inserts.  As a result, they were costly for the city to maintain, and many times were useless to travellers depending upon them.

Is it or isn't it?!?  Both sides of this liquor store on the Southwest Corner of North and Fulton Avenues contain a blue sign denoting the street name that looks remarkably like those that once graced the area.  The thought of these signs surviving intact is daunting, but anything is possible!  Thanks to Thomas Paul for this lead.	Another street sign appearing placard adorns a building at the corner of Luzerne Avenue and Baltimore Street, and is of a brown base with white letters.  Once again, it begs the question, is it authentic.
Getting its last glimpses of daylight before being covered with exterior application is this old embossed sign on West Saratoga Street at Fulton Avenue.	Until I got a most remarkable lead, the closest thing found to a translucent was a neat item prominently visible from a back alley in Mount Vernon.  The frame and gas light frame appear completely original, although the lettering and message, as well as the incandescent fixture within the gas light frame are redone.  It would be interesting to wonder where this light and sign originally stood.
One of my main hopes when I started the site in 2001 was to find an original translucent sign on location.  In my searches, not even had the frame for a pole-mounted version been spotted yet.  Two known signs persisted until circa 1990, one at the North end of Boxhill Lane at Friends School (which may have read Embla Avenue), the other at Fairdel Avenue at a small pathlike extension of Ina Avenue.  Both have since been displaced........... After largely giving up hope on locating a ghost of a translucent sign, I received an email from a helpful site visitor on November 7, 2001, letting me know that in fact, a translucent DOES survive.  I rushed to the site the next day only to be overjoyed with the sight of the survivor, standing remarkably sturdy, intact, and clean, despite over 40 years of exposure to the elements.  Interestingly, in my futile searches, I had canvassed this area, observing every intersection within a half mile of here, EXCEPT this one.  The visitor informed me that there were actually two translucent sets at this intersection until recently, when one was "removed."  It is both of our wishes that this monument will survive in location here without being stolen, as the observance of its survival is a remarkable sight for a street sign enthusiast.  If any of you out there should even THINK of trying to secure this sign for yourselves.......please, I beg you.......DON'T!!!!
This sign is interesting in that it points the way to three different streets, with designation of block numbers included in the main body of the sign.  A very interesting discovery indeed, and probably the best condition sign of them all.  I'll leave you to figure where it is located.
An odd combination sign can be found on McClean Blvd just below Perring Parkway, at the entrance to Dutch Village Apartments.	Inside the Dutch Village property, this sign rests at the split of the driveway to direct visitors.  Likely a survivor due to it's presence on private property.
Well within the city, on tiny Duncan Street survives this neat example of an original scotchlite.	While most of the surviving Scotchlites are at the edge of the city, this oddity survives very close to Downtown.  At Eden Street just above Baltimore Street lies this sign for Tenpin Alley, though of a slightly differing typeface than the others.
The other full height old Scotchlite is this one that sits on Pimlico Road just above its split from Greenspring Avenue in Cheswolde.  It's definitely seen better days, but it's still soldiering on nonetheless!
Sitting just a hair inside the city line at Greenspring Avenue and Willow Glen Drive was this sign directing motorists to Larryvale Road.  Although somewhat faded, the sign still looked better than it's neighboring "modern" Willow Glen sign.	Another view of the Larryvale sign, which had befriended a protective Pine tree, until it vanished about 2003.

For some unknown reason, all the major streetsigns in the Coldspring-Newtown community have always consisted of White letters on a Red Background.	In the historic Dickeyville community, the standard look consists of serifed black letters on a cream background.
Immediately surrounding the Washington Monument at five main intersections are yellow street signs carrying fancier type serifed lettering and block indicators.	Signs on Park properties are typically blue with white letters, such as this one off of Windsor Mill Road just East of Forest Park Avenue.
Commemorative and special street signs also exist at many points throughout the city, such as this "Gentry Drive" sign on East West Street.	Western High School has two pairs of city street signs in the school colors, red letters on a white background
Blue on White and White on Blue exist at Druid Park Drive and Malden Avenue for these commemorative signs for WJZ's late newscasting legends Al Sanders and Jerry Turner.	Black lettering on a Yellow background is used to commemorate local Political leaders, as seen here at Belvedere Square.  The overall look of these signs strongly resembles those once seen in New York City.

A particularly unusual "standard" sign exists at Rockwood and Berkeley near Cheswolde.  This sign includes the block numbers of both streets.  Every other metal pole mounted sign in the city only includes the block number for the sign on top.

MORE GOODIES??? TELL ME!!!!