Museum Artifact: Duro “Sign Maker” Letter and Number Decals + Display Box, c. 1960s
Made By: Duro Decal Co., Inc. / Duro Art Supply, Inc. / Duro Art Industries, 1832 W. Juneway Terrace, Chicago, IL [Rogers Park]
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
The Duro Sign Maker decals were used in the 1950‘s and 1960‘s on the wings of control line model airplanes. The 2 inch and 3 inch sizes were very popular. For example, in 1953, Jim Ebejer and Rod Ferris of the Detroit Strathmoor Model Airplane Club had them on the beautiful Neptune and Jupiter contest winning I-beam stunners.
Do you know anyone that has some of the Duro water transfer decals that could copy them?
The display box was provided with initial orders of the decals, and there were different size and shape ones for the “Sign Maker” decals, “reflectorized” letter and number decals, larger letters and number decals (5 inch and 5-1/2 inch with a drop shadow), decorative decals, boat identification letter and number decals and “stock signs” decals.
I donated the box pictured, and it actually contained the combined inventory of two decal stock boxes.
Hello,
I just started researching my red box. Mine doesn’t have the stuff inside, but I have the beautiful red box. Maybe they were shipped out to dealers around the country this way? At any rate, I have one here in Phoenix!
The stock box was usually shipped complete with an initial inventory of the decals, and a dealer would reorder whatever letters or numbers they needed from a reorder sheet as certain characters depleted.