Boss of the Road Overalls
Somewhere in California Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
A tough-looking bow wow guards this old Boss of the Road Overalls advertisement. By the looks of that bulldog, the pants were expected to stand up to more than a quiet afternoon on the porch. Quite a watchdog for a pair of overalls.
The brand came from San Francisco's Neustadter Brothers, supplying durable workwear for miners, railroad crews, and other working people. Its bulldog emblem helped make the name recognizable, with “The Watchdog of Quality” backing up the sales pitch. An old rival to Levi Strauss, still getting a word in through the faded paint.
UPDATE: A Boss of the Road ghost sign on the Schroth Building in Old Sacramento was partly painted over by a tenant in April 2019, prompting city preservation officials to halt the work. Without matching this photo to that wall, the incident cannot be assigned to this particular sign. 09-26
Boss
of the Road Overalls
Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
“The Watchdog of Quality” keeps guard on this Boss of the Road Overalls ghost sign in Sacramento. The bulldog and “Union Made” lettering made a straightforward pitch for sturdy work clothes. That bow wow looks like it expected the pants to put in a full day's work.
The brand belonged to San Francisco's Neustadter Brothers, a competitor to Levi Strauss in the early workwear business. Painted on the Schroth Building in Old Sacramento, the advertisement recalled when “waist overalls” meant the denim work trousers that later generations would call jeans.
UPDATE: In April 2019, a tenant painted over portions of the historic wall advertisement to add a new business logo. City preservation officials halted the unauthorized work, but the old bulldog's patch of wall had already been substantially obscured. 09-26
Petaluma's Choice
Petaluma, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Yes, Coca-Cola turns up just about everywhere, including this old Petaluma's Choice wall advertisement. The familiar script gets a local introduction, with a little chick joining the sales pitch. Even the soda sign found room for Petaluma's poultry heritage.
Painted in 1942 by local sign painter Lew Barber, the mural gave a nod to the city's reputation as the “Egg Basket of the World.” The brick wall provided plenty of room for a refreshing suggestion to shoppers passing through downtown.
UPDATE: The mural received local landmark designation in December 1977 and was restored by sign painter Bob Caruso. It survives on Western Avenue, keeping the old Coca-Cola pitch and its feathered companion in view. 09-26
Hotel
St. Cleo
Stockton, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
“Force Fan Ventilation” gets a prominent mention on this old Hotel St. Leo wall sign in Stockton. Before air conditioning became an expected convenience, a little mechanically circulated air was worth advertising. Especially to a traveler arriving on a warm valley afternoon with a suitcase in hand.
Opened in 1913, the hotel offered 54 rooms for traveling salesmen, railroad passengers, and other visitors. Early guests could find leather-upholstered reading rooms and lodging for a dollar a night. A place to put the bags down, settle into a chair, and take a break from the road.
The painted sign combines ornate lettering for the hotel name with plain block letters announcing its ventilation system. That practical little promise probably meant something to anyone weighing a room upstairs against the heat outside. No need to leave every comfort to the imagination when the wall could spell it out.
Hotel
St. Cleo
Stockton, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Traces of older paint show through around the lettering, adding another layer to the scene. Just what was advertised underneath remains uncertain. The brick has held onto bits of more than one sales pitch, even as the weather has made them harder to read.
UPDATE: The St. Leo later became residential lodging before city officials ordered it vacated in September 1995 because of health and safety violations. The former hotel has stood vacant for years, with its faded wall advertisement recalling the days when a dollar bought a room and moving air helped sell it. 09-26
Carnation
Stockton, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Several old sales pitches share this brick wall in Stockton, including faded Carnation lettering and the Hotel Sutter name above. Bits of earlier advertisements peek through the paint, leaving quite a jumble for passersby to sort out.
The signs were hidden behind newer facade coverings for years. A late-1970s remodel exposed them again, bringing the old hotel name and grocery advertisement back into daylight. Just which Carnation product was being promoted remains hard to tell.
UPDATE: That remodel also removed the building's third floor and converted the remaining space to commercial offices. The layered lettering survives as a reminder of the corner's earlier days. 09-26
Casino
Club
Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Mixed drinks or “Fresh Up with 7Up” were the choices advertised on this old Casino Club wall sign in Sacramento. The faded lettering still offers a refreshing suggestion, even though the tavern's serving days are over. Some sales pitches age better than the paint.
The neighborhood bar also became a gathering place for Sacramento's lesbian community in the early 1970s, adding another chapter to the history behind the lettering. The soda slogan recalls an earlier era of painted advertisements sharing space with a local business name.
UPDATE: The former Casino Club building on 16th Street has been repurposed for other uses. Its painted tavern lettering and 7Up advertisement remain as reminders of the old gathering spot. 09-26
Coca-Cola
Stockton, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The familiar Coca-Cola script turns up on another old brick wall in Stockton. A throwback to when the side of a building could do the advertising, with enough room to put a refreshing suggestion high above the sidewalk. No billboard needed when a good stretch of brick was available.
This painted pitch shares the Hotel St. Leo wall with lettering promoting “Force Fan Ventilation.” A cool drink and some moving air must have sounded pretty good on a warm valley day. The hotel and soda advertisements both offered a little comfort to someone passing through town.
Years of weather have softened the letters and allowed different layers of paint to show through. The smaller wording takes more effort to read, but the Coca-Cola name remains recognizable. Quite a long run for an advertisement that once helped sell a bottle of soda.
UPDATE: The Hotel St. Leo was ordered vacated in September 1995 because of health and safety violations. The faded Coca-Cola advertisement remains on its Weber Avenue wall, recalling the building's busier days and an earlier era of downtown advertising. 09-26
Boss of the Road Overalls
Boss
of the Road Overalls
Petaluma's Choice
Hotel
St. Cleo
Hotel
St. Cleo
Carnation
Casino
Club
Coca-Cola
