The History of Signage

                                                  Signage throughout time 

     Signage is something that we use in our everyday life and it has been around since the beginning of time. It is a very effective form of communication. Signs have been a fundamental tool for businesses, for centuries. Ever since humans began to create tools, products and provide various services, they had to make their business visible to the public. Few marketing products have been used longer than signs; they are basically the first thing that comes into contact with your possible customers and makes your business known. 

Humans have used signage tools and devices for hundreds of thousands of years, even before the invention of writing or record keeping. The experts call it Symbolic advertising. Tribesmen scribbled or drew symbols that indicated to others that they had certain products to exchange or sell. 

The 19th century brought new technology that changed outdoor signage at its roots. In 1840, the first gas illuminated sign was created for P.T. Barnum’s Museum in Chicago, Illinois. The display could work for more than 5 hours straight, mesmerizing passer-byes. Gas lighting was further used for other signs across North America and Europe. 

During the early 1900s, Georges Claude and other physicists worked with neon, a recently discovered rare gas, to create light. The new invention, called a neon tube, quickly became a phenomenon. By the mid 1920s, almost every city in the United States had at least one neon tube outdoor sign.  

Signs have always been recognized as symbols of economic activity. From the earliest bow-makers in Ancient Egypt and all the way to the high tech start-ups, every business needed a way to advertise their products to the public. Now, the signage industry is made up of more than 3,000 sign companies in the United States alone and generates and estimated annual revenue of $2 billion. Signage is everywhere, it is constantly changing and evolving. HQ Signs is always here to help your business grow and evolve through signage.

Remember " A business without a sign is a sign of no business."

Resources: https://medium.com/@flaviu.mirc/signage-through-the-ages-9e5e8bc06d25