Come with us now to, a time when “Men were men, roads were roads, and signs were signs!”
All photographs by Michael Summa; Commentary by Comrade Mr Yamamoto and Michael Summa.
Anything written by me reflects MY opinion only.
If you don't like it, you can go get stuffed. Or E-mail a complaint. I need a laugh.

Classic Conneticut!

The CT “Welcome” sign in the late 50's (a warm , friendly greeting, wouldn’t you say?)
into the early sixties before they faded away.
White on blue, this one survived into 1970 as NY 35 became CONN 35.
Still standing in 1975, This 50’s CT version of the school bus stop law sign was a true pentagon shape,
as were the SCHOOL ZONE signs, which were yellow, and I failed to get a photo of.
Here’s how I fancy the SCHOOL ZONE sign might look like.
The NO PASSING had STATE TRAFFIC COMMISION in small lettering on the bottom,
here painted over by the town (Sherman, in this case)
that took over maintenance of this former state “secret route”.
The CT version of the 24" size curve sign. compare this with
NY & MASS versions and the great variety of individual states designs,
while still adhering to national guidelines,
WAS WHAT MADE THIS COUNTRY GREAT, ....well, for me anyway.....
CT speed limit sign from the 50s,
once again, STATE TRAFFIC COMMISION, was covered over,
along this old alignment of CONN 136 in Westport (1976)
A bit farther along the same road, the 24" size turn sign,
accompanied by a once familiar SLOW sign.
1975-A rather unique CT 37 blazer in Danbury.
1974-These were at the end of the off-slip of JN 11-Westbound CT Turnpike (Southbound IH 95) at Darien.
Original Turnpike signage was aluminum, but looked just the same as the wooden ones everywhere else.
You can see a wood, then a newer version with a border along with the original destination/distance signs.
The diamond double arrow (24")was a common wooden sign back then.
The originals here date back to the 1956 completion of the Tpke.
1982-More white guide sines-showing their age.
1975-Another 1950’s sine with a bit of roadrash.
A black-on-white town line sign.
An extinct sine type; Note that this one has been remounted:
There are some extra holes above and below the current mounting.
US 1 at The CT Turnpike JN 19 in Fairfield,
a wooden DO NOT ENTER sign, and an aluminum ONE WAY sign.
The POST RD street sign refers to US 1.
A large wooden sign on US 1 in Fairfield.
Oversize wood sine on old CT 8 just south of the Merritt Pkwy
(in MASS they used to read the plural: “SIGNALS AHEAD”)
Large turn sine. These also came in 24” size(see above).
It was 1970 when Merritt Pkwy signage was upgraded.
One result was use of CT “map” markers.
the State abbeviation was used for stand alone installations such as this,
No state name was used in assemblies. These signs were only found near Parkway junctions.
Later on, a few wooden ones started to appear in other areas of the state,
but for whatever reason they were short lived, and it was back to the plain square(BAH).
I found another version of this sort of sine standing in 2004.
US 202: 1970-before it’s relocation,
Here leaving IH 84 east along with it's longtime partner, US 6.
Not only is the junction sign placed in the gore, US 202 is given larger billing.
Michael Summa sez:
I guess it had been suffering an inferiority complex along its multiplex with US 6,
so here was it's time to shine in the spotlight.
Route therapy: an exclusive of the Comrade Yamamoto Experience !
A poor shot of the CT TPK & Merritt Parkway trailblazers along
CONN 123 south in New Canaan in 1969.
A 2k4 snap of an older Merritt Parkway trailblazer.
Note the difference in the shape of the signs.
1970-After crossing the bridge from New London on the IH 95.
This is now junction 85-86.
1969-Unfortunately, this discarded Merritt Parkway sign was the only one of it's type I ever got a picture of.
You can just about see the cut on the sides of this wooden sign.
That's what today's special signage is supposed to be imitating.
Individual plates(poor in retroreflective quality) were affixed to these signs to create the message.
There was also signage like this with individual reflective sheeted copy affixed to the wood.
I'm not sure if these types were the orignials from 1937.
I remember seeing older photos with a slightly different side cut & copy,
so the one pictured here may have come later.
1970-“Map” marker at the Merritt entrance from CT 123.
1969 original signage US 7 north.
CT Guide signs started off with button copy US & CT shield outlines,
then switched to sheeted shields, and now back to button copy shield outlines.
Can't make up thier minds, can they?
CT 39 got added on here long enough after that the old shield marks showed after being moved.
That is NOT a defect in the picture, but a common occurance when copy is moved on a sine.
18” Shields on this entry sign for IH 84 at j5.
These are so small, that it makes the button copy border much thicker than it should be.
Tiny shield and the shadow of “Newburgh”.
The “Newburgh” destination was removed from the sines in the gantry shot above, too.
Why they removed a perfectly good control city(and next main town)evades me.
1969-Not much different than you’d see today.
1969-note the lawnmower working the nearside hard shoulder.
No flashing lights or DOT trucks running interference;
These were the days of the DOT Cowboys.
A holy grail!
1970-Wilbur Cross Highway:
After IH 84 was changed to IH 86, IH 84 signs remained.
These may as well just have been left there,
since the Hartford to Providence IH 84 was killed;
and this section was redesignated IH 84.
1970-Nice reassurance sine, this.
But it could have been improved.
1971-JN 5 eastbound on the IH 95 CT Turnpike near Stamford.
The same location in 2k2.
1970-The Stamford and Darien junctions had these UGLY neon street lights;
All other junctions had standard fixtures.
Exit 15 was being reconstructed to accomodate the new US 7 freeway.
Naturally, I couldn't help crossing the exit ramp on foot,
since that is where this sign was resting.
1970-Further up the line. Day and night shots.
This sign faces westbound traffic.
Note the use of button copy slanted letters for KEEP RIGHT.
While it didn't seem to make sense,
the same slant was used for the message KEEP LEFT
Yes, in 1969, I was hopping fences along the turnpike to enjoy my new picture taking career,
sneaking along the right of way, staying out of sight, then spinging out to get the shot,
and dashing back to cover. Actually, I lived within sight distance of the
Turnpike near exit 16 so this was easy-AND FUN!
(I didn't care how other high schoolers were getting their kicks)
The original Conneticut Turnpike IH 95 shields were only the 24” aluminum plates shown here.
The 1961 MUTCD specified a this size on approaches from intersecting highways, and 36” on mainlines.
And if I recall correctly, 60mph was the maximum pre-NMSL speed limit in Connecticut.
Originally IH 95 markers were only posted as shown above: with no direction plate.
Here are shields with EAST & WEST cardinal direction plates-as the Turnpike really ran.
A few years later, IH 95 was signed with NORTH & SOUTH plates,
which started creating some confusion for CT Tpk travellers.
Parallel US 1 continued to be signed EAST-WEST.
Closeup of the original CT Turnpike entry sign.
And another gantry sine shot from the verge.
Gantry knocked down? No worries, just ground mount it and turn the arrow upwards.
1970-Westbound on the Turnpike near Milford.
1977-Westbound CT Turnpike advance for j49 east of the Quinnipiac River crossing.
Note the more modern gantry for the opposite direction of traffic.
1977-The exit gore signs on the ground mounted sign pattern east of exit 53.
West of that point was the overhead mounted pattern along with the lighted section of the CT Turnpike.
it’s the only highway of this type I knew of with 2 different signing patterns.
In a few locations along US 1,
such as this one near Madison in 1977,
these signs directed motorists to the turnpike.
Michael Summa sez:
For me, this one qualifies as yet another GREAT MOMENT ON US 6,
but also the eastern turnpike terminus in 1982, still with the original style signs.
Imaybetotallywrongbut, I suspect the US 6-CONN 12-DANIELSON-HARTFORD one is not the original message,
since those arrows don't match all the older ones.
This is j91 on the IH 395; which now extends to the MASSPIKE at the Worcester junction.
I also like that you have 2 down arrows for a single-lane slip.
CT 9 ENDS at the IH 95.
Michael Summa sez:
I was always a fool for the 36” size full button IH 95 shield
with 15” fuse-in numerals(of course).
Can say as I blame him. I think it makes for an attractive sign.
Actually if kept clean, it's a lot less blobby at night than a full retroreflective sign.
Note the text headroom ssine in the second snap.
1975 snap from my back yard. Elm Street(US 7)meets Main Street(US 44) in Caanan, CT.
This is now signalized; then you had a large wooden STOP sine.
Mike Summa was looking to cop to cut-outly goodness; which is lacking,
except at the NW corner of the junction.
Nowadays, you're lucky to see THIS sort of setup;
CT usually just bungs both directional plates above a single shield.
1982, Newtown heading east from the downtown flagpole.
As well as once carrying US 202,
this particular stretch was also prevoiusly signed as BUSINESS-SPUR 84.
Note the “control cities” here for US 7 south: CONN TPKE & MERRITT PKWY.
Nowadays you have to settle for Norwalk. Sorry.
Rare color shot of CT Turnpike sines. Cherish and worship it.
JN 29 eastbound off-slip signage & I thought KEEP LEFT would have been slanted LEFT,
BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The “Now” Generation back Then, Redux.
In 1975, Brown background signs were something new,
So naturally, I had to show how well a 24" button I-shield appeared on this new color scheme.
As you can see here, I was holding on for dear life with little to balance on.
It may have given this combination a bad name if I had fallen off
and made a spectacle to all the folks at this rest area eastbound in Southington.
Like Bad Karma and a bumner, man! Not to mention painful.
Sensible 21st Century roadgeeks don’t do stuff like this.
You say you want to REALLY see a 4ft X 4ft button Interstate shield?
Well say no more! 1982, at the Torrington CDOT maintenance yard.
1970-eastbound on the IH 84 near j14.
Note the CA stylee cutouts.
Skankin’ nite shot here.
1977-City of New Haven installation.
I checked the crosswalk and it didn't appear that old to me.
CT 25 joins/leaves US 6 west of Newtown.
I bicycle climbed that hill many a time in 1982.
Note the black-on-white directional sines.

OI! Dig on the Whole Series!!
Not ONLY Top Ho and Spiffing, It’s Summariffic!!!