Rare Dewitt F. Lewis Optometrist, Bennington Vt 19th C Antique Hnd Pntd Tin Sign

  

LEWIS OPTOMETRIST, BENNINGTON, VERMONT, AME RI CAN FOLK ART, MID to LATE 19TH CENTURY, NEW ENGLAND PRIMITIVE, ANTIQUE HAND PAINTED, TIN CURVED CORNER SIGN, with HAND CUT ROUND TOP, featuring HAND PAINTED. HUMAN EYE, within RED BIFOCAL LENS, in. RED, GRAY & BLACK ENAMEL PAINT on WHITE FIELD, with BRASS SIDE WALL HANGERS & HANGING WIRE.

This ultra-rare & quite early example of Ame ri can trade advertising, is slightly curved, meaning it was most probably initially realized to fit onto the curved corner posts of an urban building, in this case an optometrist's medical offices, found in the same building or nearby. Discovered in southern New Hampshire, the sign was found in a home in North Manchester, an affluent neighborhood just north of the hard-scrabble, post-industrial city & urban enclave of Manchester, NH. This mid to late 19th century optometrist's trade sign is from Bennington, Vermont & even has a directional notation'Next to Y.

The cut-out tin trade sign also could have been hung suspended as a blade sign. Lewis was the optometrist & subject of the signage. It features a cut-out top & fantastic, nearly completely intact, hand painted human eye in charcoal black & mid-tone grays within a crimson red painted lens of a pair of bifocals, all on a putty white painted background field. To suggest this remarkable discovery is only a good sign would clearly be cutting it short. It's a rather great piece of early Ame ri can trade advertising & is still in magnificent condition, considering it's most likely between 145 to 165 years old.

You won't, that's for damn sure. Original & of the period. Mid to late 19th century Ame ri can folk art, New England primitive antique cut-out tin, hand painted with enamel, curved building corner/hanging blade metal trade signs. 23 ½ " Height x 11" Width. This ultra-rare and quite early example of Ame ri can trade advertising, is slightly curved, meaning it was most probably initially realized to fit onto the curved corner posts of an urban building, in this case an optometrist's medical offices, most likely found in the same building or located nearby. Discovered in southern New Hampshire, the sign was found in a home in North Manchester, an affluent neighborhood just north of the hard-scrabble, post-industrial city and urban enclave of Manchester, NH. This mid to late 19th century antique optometrist's trade sign is from B ennington, Vermont and even has a directional notation'Next to Y.

Lewis was the optometrist and subject of the signage. It features a cut-out top and fantastic, nearly completely intact, hand painted human eye in charcoal black and mid-tone grays within a crimson red painted lens of bifocals, all on a putty white painted background field.

It's a rather great piece of early Ame ri can trade advertising and still in magnificent condition, considering it's most likely between 145 to 165 years old. Original and of the period. Good to Very Good overall antique condition.