The porcelain enamel sign in your collection may be a Bicycle or Bicycle Rack Sign.

Many signs in a collection remain a mystery as to their use or purpose until, as in the above case, a company sign bulletin surfaces describing the very sign you own. In another instance, a sign is identified by use of an old photograph as being a bicycle-rack sign, as in the case of the Postal Telegraph sign.

Try to find out all you can about that sign or collectible, then, when describing and showing your collection to a friend, it becomes that much more interesting.

1. Sign for use on bicycle. Double faced, blue and white, 
enameled on iron. This one is 2-1/2" x 14-3/8". 
Dave Cross has one that measures 2-3/4" x 13".

2. Illustration from the Western Union Commercial Bulletin No. 69, Aug. 1, 1925, 
showing how the bicycle sign is mounted to the messenger's bike.

3. Western Union Commercial Bulletin, Aug. 1, 1925.

4. Actual sign as pictured and described above, (ex-McDougald collection).

The messenger delivery service was a very large and important aspect of the telegraph companies' business. With thousands of bikes used over the many years I would think there would be numerous other signs associated with bicycles and racks. Maybe you have a bike sign not shown here that you could share with us and maybe someone out there might even have a telegraph messenger bicycle complete and intact. Any additional information can and will be used in a future update of this interesting subject.

5. Can you spot the bicycle rack and sign? San Francisco, May, 1933.

6. Double faced, blue and white, enameled on iron.
 (18" x 24") Sign marked Baltoenamel, Balto. N.Y.