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Antique Ames “Lock Socket” Shovels TOC Advertising Sign

$1,325
£1,001.82
€1,172.92
CA$1,885.15
A$1,917.54
CHF 1,100.47
MX$23,051.06
NOK 12,836.95
SEK 12,957.80
DKK 8,768.64

About the Item

c. 1920s; Ames Shovel and Tool Company - Boston, MA Embossed lithographed tin advertising sign on a cardbord backing promoting Ames "Lock Socket" shovels, featuring bold red ground with gilt and black lettering and a central illustrated shovel graphic demonstrating the patented socket connection. The design emphasizes durability and balance with period marketing language-"Lighter-Stronger-Better Balanced"-executed in raised lettering and layered color fields that give the sign strong dimensional presence. Compact in scale but visually commanding, this piece reads as a hardware store counter or wall display intended to draw attention at close range, showcasing early 20th-century industrial graphic design at its most confident and direct. Ames Shovel and Tool Company, founded in the 18th century and headquartered in Boston by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was one of America's leading edge-tool manufacturers, supplying shovels and implements nationwide and pioneering patented construction methods like the Lock Socket system.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12.5 in (31.75 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Tin
  • Period:
    Early 20th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    c. 1920s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Sign is in very good overall condition with minor cosmetic marks and surface wear consistent with age. Notable lifting/separation of the front embossed layer from the backing panel is present, visible along edges as shown in photos.
  • Seller Location:
    Dekalb, IL
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 184751stDibs: LU10033251330002

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