For centuries, businesses have used signs to advertise their trades, services, and goods. Because large portions of populations throughout history could not read, it was common to use the universal languages of illustrations, symbols, or visual representations as forms of communication in signage. In modern literate cultures, visual communication still exists in multiple ways and has expanded beyond signage. It has developed into emojis on your cellphone and logos representing a company’s visual identity with a symbol easily recognizable to the masses. What comes to mind when you see an apple with a bite in it?

In the 19^th century, illustrative trade signs as a means of communication were often charming visual indicators of a tradesperson’s craft and offerings, and many examples of this American folk art style have survived. We recently added to our trade sign and shop figure collection with a new acquisition of a circa 1890 pocket watch trade sign with a local Cape Cod connection and two accompanying photographs showing the sign hanging outside of the John Baxter’s jewelry store on Main Street in West Dennis, Massachusetts.

John Elmer Baxter (1865 – 1949) took over the family business from his father, John Baxter (1835 – 1920), who learned the jeweler’s trade at age 21 and opened the first jewelry store in West Dennis by 1879. In addition to jewelry and watches, the store sold fancy goods, stationery, and Yankee notions.

Thanks to the Dennis Historical Society’s online digital archive, we learned that John Elmer Baxter was also an amateur photographer. Baxter produced 77 glass plate negatives of people and places in West Dennis, including the two photographs in our collection. This was a fun discovery! It is also a wonderful example of how collections in museums and historical societies can complement each other and provide meaningful local history connections.

The pocket watch sign is on display in the Heritage Highlights exhibit in the American Art & Carousel Gallery.