Anton's Cleaners
Chelmsford, MA Photos courtesy Rick Ibsen
Traveling along busy Chelmsford Street, the big looping script in front of Anton's Cleaners is bound to catch your eye. The freestanding sign has that familiar old roadside look, with the Anton’s name sweeping across the top in giant cursive letters. The long underline and smaller “Cleaners” panel finish off the design. It is quite a stylish way to point out the neighborhood dry cleaner. 05-08
The sign stands near the entrance to East Gate Plaza, where the Chelmsford shop has served generations of customers. Anton’s itself has been cleaning clothes around Massachusetts for more than 100 years, making it one of the region’s longtime dry-cleaning names.
Anton's Cleaners
Chelmsford, MA Photos courtesy Rick Ibsen
Today the Chelmsford location is part of a larger network of Anton’s shops across eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Along with the usual dry cleaning and laundry work, the company offers home pickup and delivery throughout the area.
Anton’s also started its annual Coats for Kids drive in 1995. Donated winter coats are collected, professionally cleaned and distributed to families throughout New England. The program has since expanded under the name Coats for Kids & Families.
UPDATE: Anton's Cleaners remains open at 288 Chelmsford Street. The distinctive script-lettered roadside sign still stands near the entrance to East Gate Plaza. 08-26
Blue Ribbon Cleaners
Garwood, NJ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Now here is a cleaners sign that leaves no doubt about the name. Sitting out in the parking lot, the big blue sign for Blue Ribbon Cleaners is shaped just like a first-place award ribbon, complete with a round center and two pointed tails hanging below.
The bright blue coloring and unusual shape make it easy to spot while traveling along North Avenue. It is one of those roadside signs where the sign maker apparently took the business name quite literally. Why settle for an ordinary rectangle when a giant ribbon will do?
UPDATE: Blue Ribbon Cleaners & Launderers remains open at 100 North Avenue in Garwood. The giant ribbon-shaped sign still stands in the parking lot and has been updated with modern internal lighting. 08-26
Swan Dry Cleaners (Gone)
Cranford, NJ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Just down North Avenue from the giant Blue Ribbon is this marquee for Swan Dry Cleaners & Dyers. A detailed white swan sits proudly at the top, complete with a long curved neck and plenty of feathers. Apparently cleaners signs around Cranford were not allowed to be ordinary.
Swan opened in 1939 under owner Samuel Stein. The business later expanded its cleaning plant and added a climate-controlled vault for storing fur garments.
In 1956, Swan introduced what was advertised as Union County’s first drive-in dry-cleaning window. Customers could pull around back and drop off their clothes without leaving the car.
UPDATE: Swan Dry Cleaners closed in 2008, and the swan-topped marquee has since been removed. The fate of the decorative swan is unknown. 08-26
Frank's Cleaners
Erie, PA Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
Check out the colors and classic lettering on Frank's Cleaners in Erie. The long storefront sign spells out “Shirt Laundry” and “Frank’s Cleaners” in big block letters, with plenty of blue, red and white mixed in. This is about as mid-century cleaners as it gets. 09-10
The West 8th Street shop was established by Frank J. Malena and remained a longtime family-operated neighborhood business. Its low brick building and oversized lettering made it easy to spot while traveling through Erie’s west side.
Frank’s later opened another location on West Lake Road, but this was the original cleaning plant. The old-fashioned storefront lettering has remained part of the building, continuing to give the place far more roadside character than the average modern cleaners.
UPDATE: Frank’s Cleaners remains in business in Erie, and the classic lettering on the West 8th Street storefront survives. 08-26
Blue Ribbon Cleaners
Swan Dry Cleaners (Gone)
Frank's Cleaners
