This edition of the 9-Note Register brings you nine empty signs from roadsides across America.

Questa, NM

I grew up in the South, where I was instilled with a deep appreciation for the wonders of the open road. Escaping the suburbs and flying down a country lane had a certain escapist thrill. Since that time, I’ve driven across a good bit of America, where I’ve started to appreciate many moments that are best experienced at the speed of an automobile. One of those moments is encountering the wonderful variety of road signs across the country, present everywhere from the smallest town to the biggest city.

One subset of those signs is those that have fallen into disrepair or become partially disassembled such that where there was once a sign, all that remains is a window to the world behind it. The “frame” of the sign, which previously kept some name, symbol, or slogan, now holds the space behind it—a picture that shifts depending on where you’re standing, the weather on any given day, and whatever circumstance happens to be playing out through that viewfinder.

Over the years, I have snapped hundreds of photos of these unusual artifacts. I then cut out the background as in the process image above, leaving the frame of the sign and the view through it. Nine such signs follow.

—Corwin Levi

“Do not allow the roadside signs to become shabby. It is better to destroy them than to keep them up when they show the effects of time and weather.”

—Edward T. Page, 1903

Fitchburg, MA

Tatum, NM

Sarasota, FL

Schaghticoke, NY

Carlsbad, NM

Shelburne, MA

Latimore Township, PA

Tatum, NM

Carrizozo, NM

FURTHER EXPLORATION

Thank you for reading. Please enjoy these related works. A portion of all purchases goes to support Gwarlingo.

The Americans by Robert Frank and Jack Kerouac

American Photographs by Walker Evans

Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CORWIN LEVI

Corwin is a visual artist working in design, illustration, bookmaking, curating, and writing. As an artist, he has attended over twenty artist residencies. He has also have lived in eighteen cities across twelve states. Along with Michelle Aldredge, he co-created Mirror Mirrored: An Artists’ Edition of 25 Grimms’ Tales. He is currently remixing vintage game boards and making a book from illustrations of Alice in Wonderland.