Featured is a magnificent reverse on glass advertising sign from the long defunct New York Plate Glass Insurance Company, which was based in New York City. This sign features a detailed illustration of the Brooklyn Bridge, long an iconic symbol of the NYC Metropolitan skyline. I love the interesting category this sign was designed for…insurance for shopkeepers or store owners glass front storefront windows. Imagine how often a store owner arrived at his store in the morning only to find damage to his window overnight, possibly caused by vandals, pressure changes due to changing temperatures, and so forth. This was an era before windows were double panelled, thermally insulated, and simply built to wind stand the elements better.
The New York Plate Glass Insurance Company simply insured glass products, and in the early 1900’s, the invention of the automobile caused glass production to quadruple in just a few short years. Because the glass was not built as well as it is today, many windows broke, and this particular insurer helped it’s clients replace those broken windows. Over time, insurers started to become more generalized, hence, ending the reign of companies which only insured glass products.