1910s-1920s New York City Street Sign - East 113th St.

This is a fully porcelain street sign for the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 113th Street in East Harlem that likely dates from the 1910s to 1920s. It needs a decent cleaning, which I have been considering how best to perform: one side is marred by a paint spill from decades ago, and the other has lost some of the bright glow that its blue porcelain should show (you can see a sliver poking out in the first picture). Its general condition is quite good, however, as there are few chips and no major missing portions of the sign. The white text is in quite good shape, and, once I've gotten the remainder of that residue off, it should look great.

I think this sign is of particular interest for the fact that it shows an intersection that hasn't existed for more than 65 years. In 1948, the James Weldon Johnson housing project was built in East Harlem and East 113th St. was razed for a few blocks. Walking on Lexington at the spot today, one finds not just an absence of street signs but indeed an absence of any street at all! The sign is a remnant of East Harlem's original days, and a testament to the strength of porcelain enamel after likely one hundreds after its casting. It's even fallen, unfortunately but luckily, from an eight foot mount without a single chip or dent, which is more than can be said for most signs--or myself!