NOTE: Excerpts are taken, with permission, from THE VERSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD by Frank Rowsome, Jr. ©1965 by Frank Rowsome. Foreword ©1990 by Robert Dole. Used by permission of The Stephen Greene Press, an imprint of Penguin Books USA Inc.

WHAT WAS BURMA SHAVE, AND
HOW DID THE ROAD SIGNS START?

Early in this century, a Minneapolis attorney produced extra income by manufacturing a liniment he called "Burma Vita." "Burma," because many oils in it came from Burma and "Vita," for life and vigor.

But even then, few people used liniment, and a druggist asked for something with more universal appeal. The next product any man could use: A brushless shaving cream. Quite an innovation in its day, and ideal for travelers: No more wet, foul-smelling, mildewed shaving brushes to pack.

They called it "Burma Shave."

How to sell this new product? The inventor's grandson, Leonard Odell, takes up the story: "One day on the road...Dad and my brother, Allan—who were out trying to sell Jars on Approval...saw a series of small serial signs advertising a gas station. Maybe a dozen of them—and then at the end, a sign would point in to the gas station. Althought, every time I see one of those setups, I read every one of the signs. So why can't you sell a product that way?

"We bought some second-hand boards...and painted them up...The first one was: SHAVE THE MODERN WAY FINE / FOR THE SKIN / DRUGGISTS HAVE IT / BURMA SHAVE

"...We put 12 sets of signs on two highways and by the start of the year, we were getting the first repeat orders we'd ever had...In early 1926, we set up our first sign shop."

WHAT MADE THE SIGNS SO POPULAR?

"What made America first notice and cherish these jaunty little signs – was their lightheartedness...These were the days when advertisers preferred long blocks of copy composed on the 'reason why' principle.

In this environment, the Odells arrived with distinctive, ironic humor: HE PLAYED / A SAX / HAD NO B.O. / BUT HIS WHISKERS SCRATCHED / SO SHE LET HIM GO / BURMA SHAVE.

"At 35 mph, it took almost 3 seconds to proceed from sign to sign, or 18 seconds to march through the whole series. This was far more time and attention than a newspaper or magazine advertiser could realistically expect...it was as difficult to read just one Burma Shave sign as it was to eat one salted peanut.

"They established a controlled reading pace... The eye could not race ahead...Instead the signs concentrated attention on one sign at a time. THE BEARDED LADY /TRIED A JAR / SHE'S NOW / A FAMOUS / MOVIE STAR / BURMA-SHAVE. Or, BENEATH THIS STONE / LIES ELMER GUSH / TICKLED TO DEATH / BY HIS / SHAVING BRUSH / BURMA-SHAVE."

HOW MANY DIFFERENT BURMA SHAVE SIGNS WERE THERE?

Between 1926 and 1963, 600 signs were created. And certain themes ran through them.

"One was the accept-no-substitutes theme... But where conventional advertisers [had] virtually no effect on the glazed eyes of readers, the Odells captured attention with gaiety: GIVE THE GUY / THE TOE OF YOUR BOOT / WHO TRIES / TO HAND YOU / A SUBSTITUTE / BURMA-SHAVE.

"Or SUBSTITUTES / WOULD IRK A SAINT / YOU HOPE THEY ARE / WHAT YOU KNOW / THEY AIN'T/ BURMA-SHAVE.

"And quite naturally...man/woman relationships: TO GET / AWAY / FROM HAIRY APES / LADIES JUMP / FROM FIRE ESCAPES / BURMA-SHAVE.

"...And one that we didn't use, THE OTHER WOMAN / IN HIS LIFE / SAID "GO BACK HOME" / AND SCRATCH YOUR WIFE / BURMA SHAVE.

"...And in 1934: HE HAD THE RING / HE HAD THE FLAT / BUT SHE FELT HIS CHIN / AND THAT / WAS THAT / BURMA-SHAVE. "...Public service was one of the major themes: KEEP WELL / TO THE RIGHT / OF THE ONCOMING CAR / GET YOUR CLOSE SHAVES / FROM OUR HALF-POUND JAR / BURMA SHAVE.

"...said Leonard Odell, 'Dad felt we'd grown to be a part of the US roadside so that we had a duty to do whatever we could about the mounting accident rate...and if people could remember our little verses, they might be better than routine...safety advice.' Burma Shave earned the reputation of being helpful as well as cheerful. HARDLY A DRIVER / IS NOW ALIVE / WHO PASSED / ON HILLS / AT 75 / BURMA SHAVE.

"Or: WHEN YOU DRIVE / IF CAUTION CEASES / YOU ARE APT / TO REST / IN PIECES / BURMA-SHAVE. "

And (our favorite) AT SCHOOL ZONES / HEED INSTRUCTIONS / PROTECT / OUR LITTLE / TAX DEDUCTIONS / BURMA SHAVE."

WHY DID THE SIGNS DISAPPEAR?

"Time passed...People were driving too fast to read... Superhighways...excluded the signs...Growth and expansion of...other mediums, such as radio and tv...

"On February 7, 1963, the company was sold...and became...American Safety Razor Products...The Odells entered retirement along with their signs."

In 1964, some of the signs were given to the Smithsonian, ironically echoing one of the early ones: SHAVING BRUSHES / YOU'LL SOON SEE 'EM / ON THE SHELF / IN SOME / MUSEUM / BURMA-SHAVE.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Burma Shave signs are gone. But they live on in thousands of memories. As Frank Rowsome concludes, you might be driving on a two lane road with the sun warm and the sky blue and then along come these signs: IF YOU / DON'T KNOW / WHOSE SIGNS THESE ARE / YOU CAN'T HAVE DRIVEN / VERY FAR / BURMA SHAVE.