MICHELIN - c.1910
MICHELIN - c.1910
“THANK YOU—A GIFT FROM MICHELIN”
A very rare, original, double-sided embossed lithographed metal road sign; this is the specimen marked with the number 1.
100 x 60 cm. “Printed on METALGRAF metal”
It features a superb patina from use. Reflecting its original outdoor display, the natural surface oxidation leaves the original yellow colors and lettering legible. The two mounting holes still retain their original brass eyelets.
A pioneer in road signage as early as 1908, André Michelin created the famous double-sided “Merci” signs in 1910.
Donated to municipalities, these lithographed sheet-metal signs displayed the names of towns (here “St Jean sur R,” likely Saint-Jean-sur-Reyssouze (Ain)), road numbers, and safety messages (“Please slow down” / “Thank you”).
Since this early metal version oxidized quickly, it was replaced as early as 1918 by the corner post made of concrete and enameled lava, making the surviving metal signs from 1910 particularly sought after.
In 1886, André Michelin and his brother Édouard Michelin took over the family business, Barbier-Daubrée. On May 28, 1889, in Clermont-Ferrand, the company’s name was changed to “Michelin et Cie.”
Puy-de-Dôme/Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
MICHELIN - c.1910
“THANK YOU—A GIFT FROM MICHELIN”
A very rare, original, double-sided embossed lithographed metal road sign; this is the specimen marked with the number 1.
100 x 60 cm. “Printed on METALGRAF metal”
It features a superb patina from use. Reflecting its original outdoor display, the natural surface oxidation leaves the original yellow colors and lettering legible. The two mounting holes still retain their original brass eyelets.
A pioneer in road signage as early as 1908, André Michelin created the famous double-sided “Merci” signs in 1910.
Donated to municipalities, these lithographed sheet-metal signs displayed the names of towns (here “St Jean sur R,” likely Saint-Jean-sur-Reyssouze (Ain)), road numbers, and safety messages (“Please slow down” / “Thank you”).
Since this early metal version oxidized quickly, it was replaced as early as 1918 by the corner post made of concrete and enameled lava, making the surviving metal signs from 1910 particularly sought after.
In 1886, André Michelin and his brother Édouard Michelin took over the family business, Barbier-Daubrée. On May 28, 1889, in Clermont-Ferrand, the company’s name was changed to “Michelin et Cie.”
Puy-de-Dôme/Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
