The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles (Paperback)

~ Frank Rowsome Jr. (Author) "LIKE SO MUCH ELSE, the cars too were different in those days..." (more)
Key Phrases: brushless shaving cream, advance man, Burma-Vita Company, Leonard Odell, Clinton Odell (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Plume (September 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452267625
• ISBN-13: 978-0452267626
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #269,731 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story of one of advertising's greatest triumphs, August 4, 2000

By	hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

With the low-brow humor of "whazzzzzup" and high-speed editing of MTV-style ads dominating the landscape, it's almost hard to imagine how memorable the quaint multi-sign Burma-Shave ads were. The combination of clever verse and brilliant exposition -- stretching along the wide-open road until the punch line could be delivered -- is unlike any other ad delivery in history.

Author Frank Rowsome, Jr. tells the story of the campaign's creation and life, and provides a listing of all signs from the first in1927 ("Shave the modern way / No Brush / No Lather / No Rub-in / Big Tube 35-c Drug Stores / Burma Shave") through their last in 1963 ("Our Fortune / Is Your / Shaven Face / It's Our Best / Advertising Space / Burma-Shave"). In between is an amazingly clever collection of poems, including contest winners, shorter signs for smaller displays, spin-off tooth powder and lotion jingles, and regional ads.

Great reading for those remembering the signs as well as those who just want to get a smile from some great advertising - one of the USA's most underappreciated art forms.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of nostalgia, March 5, 1999

By A Customer

I read this book twenty odd years ago, and I loved it. It brought back such fond childhood memories of my days on the farm in Belsano, PA, where a set of the signs stood soldier-like in the lower field of my grandad's farm. I heard from the grown-ups that someone paid him to put them there, and money was scarce in those days.

I was always intrigued by those signs, so when I saw the book advertised for the first time, it was a must-have for me. I cherished owning a complete set of the verses, most of which I'd never seen.

The book is well-written in that it has a lot of historical fact, loads of humor, and the story-telling holds your interest to the last page. One of those "can't put it down" types.

Somewhere in my travels, I've lost my copy and have mourned it's loss. Thanks to Internet, I will once again have my own cherished copy of "Verse by the Side of the Road."

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for old car buffs!, September 18, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

If you currently own a car built before 1965, there's a pretty good chance you remember driving past those wonderful Burma Shave signs.

How delightful those signs were as we went on Sunday drives with Mom and Dad. Here is not only the complete history of the company but also ALL of the rhymes.