[4116 Avenue U, Marine Park, Brooklyn, c. 1939–1941. From the NYC Municipal Archives Collections. Click for a much larger view.]
One more trip back to Avenue U.
I count twenty bits of signage at Sam’s Dairy, not including the Kool penguin (look closely) and the Beech-Nut Coffee advertisement that must appear on the hidden plate-glass window. The penguin’s name was Willie.
And I count at least six more Brooklyn stores in 1940 calling themselves Sam’s Dairy, three listed in full-page Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum advertisements, three more listed in the telephone directory. Nothing consistent about their signage, which makes me doubt that Sam ran an empire of stores.
In 1926 this address housed the Erasmus Realty Co. By 1928 it housed a fruit and vegetable market. At some point, Sam moved in (ESplanade 7-9284). The space is now ceded to the parking lot of a strip mall that includes a CVS.
Related posts
More photographs from the NYC Municipal Archives (Pinboard)
[Post title, wrenched out of context, from Roland Barthes.]
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Empire of signs
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What do you suppose the person in the doorway is eating?
ReplyDelete"Ask for" remains a mystery
ReplyDeleteThe food and the sign are mysteries. My guess for the food would be a hardboiled egg or a piece of bread. I can’t think of anything else that would look so white.
ReplyDeleteI have to bump up the sign count — I missed the second Pepsi sign.
ReplyDeletei would love to know what "fancy groceries" and "table luxuries" are. Either side of the Beech Nut Coffee sign on the left. The food could be an apple or ice cream.
ReplyDeletethe box with the "ask for" sign on it has a lock on it so i am guessing that if you want some you have to ask the proprietor to open the lock. all courtesy of my optivisor!
5 lbs of potatoes for 9 cents.....
kirsten
I think I’m going to have to write a post about “table luxuries.” Google Books has many older items that mention them as a category, but examples are not as easy to find. I found one list with a little browsing: “sardines, peas, mushrooms, peas, macedoine, olive oil, truffles, macaroni, candied and preserved fruits, etc.” So not coffee, flour, sugar, the usual stuff, and maybe items that are typically imported. (Macedoine is a vegetable salad.)
ReplyDeletehere are some real luxuries
ReplyDeletehttps://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59970714/?match=1&terms=%22table%20luxuries%22&search-id=969290d2-6727-4cf0-bf19-bd68ad8eaf9c&search-rank=59
Thanks, Anon.
Deletei did a search on google books for "fancy groceries" which oddly does not come up in a search on the web. there is a business in nc that is called fancy groceries (clothing).
ReplyDeletein google books: jellies, jams, spreads, preserves, olives, pickles, sauces, dressings, table oils, extracts, essences, spices, gelatines, chocolate, cocoa. another about fancy grocery firms in st louis: sardines, french canned goods, jams, jellies, olive oils, fish soaps, macaroni. and in talking about selling points of groceries: "occasionally it may be advisable to advertise fancy groceries like preserves, cocoa, imported cheese, etc."
kirsten