Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign


I have a slight fascination with a lot of signage you can find while driving around Knoxville. Over the past year, I've seen a few of my favorites disappear so I've started taking photos of them in case more fade away with time. I think some of the best ones are hand-painted and mostly found in North and South Knoxville. I imagine the owners of these establishments never considered using a graphic designer but just went out there with a paint brush and did it themselves.


Today I bring you the Clark Bros. Piano Co. on Broadway. They also have (none other than) Ronald McDonald holding a keyboard on their roof. Does this make any sense whatsoever? Not really to me, but it's North Knoxville. Maybe I was too busy eating chicken McNuggets as a young girl to learn that Ronald's a wiz on the keys. I do know that all this is a little creepy and has kept me from ever going inside of the place, though it's always piqued my curiosity.

The sign below is bonus material. It's currently outside of Clark Bros. and reads:

' "Welcome to Knoxville," Five thousand dollar's reward of stolen 1987 White Cadillac also 5x8 trailer to the arrest and conviction. call 865... Clark Bros. Piano 1307 N. Broadway.'

Yes, welcome to Knoxville.

5 comments:

ck said...

I don't think you know this B, but when the Wigshop was just a wee blog, barley a month old, I did the first Weird Knoxville post on Clark Bros. Piano Co.

http://www.wigsphere.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

Good to see we have the same interest in creepy Ronald McDonald signs.

Back2Pennyrile said...

If you look at the old post you can see what appears to be the missing 1987 White Cadillac! Is this a clue..is Wigsphere somehow involved!?! Jinkies, I believe we have a mystery, Scoob!

B said...

Ck, I was pretty sure one of you would have already written about this long ago. It has wigshop written all over it.

That's hilarious that the white Cadillac is in the old photo! B2P, if any of the wigshop is involved in this crime, it's probably the Pol. He's into politics after all.

Anyone want to go with me inside? It's right across from where I work so I see it all the time, Ronald creepily beckoning me to come inside.

The Modern Gal said...

I'd never noticed the keyboard. How bizarre.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for the Caddy.

Lisa said...

there is a great book at the Knoxville library on hand-painted signs as art.