The Verse by the Side of the Road

"In the fall of 1925, young Allan Odell conceived the idea of using consecutive signs along the roadside. . . . In 1963 the last signs were taken down, ending the most famous outdoor advertising venture ever.”—1977 Minnesota Almanac

The whole story is in this book, plus all the jingles used. The signs are gone now, except for one set on permanent display at The Smithsonian. You can have them all, always, in your own library with this book.

“Rowsome’s volume indexes each of the 600 jingles . . . and as you down the list, preferably reading aloud, it might evoke visions of 1940 Chevies, roadside diners, signs that said EATS. . . . Why were the Burma-Shave jingles so universally loved? Because they were light-hearted and humorous in hard times and war times.”—Bov Swift, Knight News Service

Frank Rowsome, Jr., was an American writer and editor who worked for Popular Science magazine and a respected chronicler of advertising in the 20th century. He is the author of Verse by the Side of the Road: The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles, They Laughed When I Sat Down, and Trolley Car Treasury: A Century of American Streetcars.