Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Most Confusing Traffic Signs Ever

Posted by: Ghosts of DC on August 8, 2012 in Faces & Places of Yesterday, Featured 2 Comments

I came across this photo in the Library of Congress’ archives. It’s clear that these traffic signs are completely unclear. How the hell do you make sense of this?

"Walk," "Don't Walk," "No Right Turn," "Thru Only": a complicated traffic signal to uncomplicate Washington, D.C., traffic, 1949. 306-PS-49-2682. (National Archives)

“Walk,” “Don’t Walk,” “No Right Turn,” “Thru Only”: a complicated traffic signal to uncomplicate Washington, D.C., traffic, 1949. 306-PS-49-2682. (National Archives)

From the Lorstan Photographers studio in the background, it is somewhere on F St. NW, probably in the 1950 (a guess). In the 1940s, Lorstan was located at 1429 F St. and in the 1950s, their address moved to 1119 F St. If you know a little more about this location, please feel free to comment below.

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About Ghosts of DC

Ghosts of DC is a blog about the history of Washington, D.C. and its surroundings. We live in a great city, and it's important for everyone to know a little more about their communities, neighborhoods and city.
  • http://www.yurasko.net/wfy/ WFY

    I remember a few of those neon pedestrian signals were still around in the 1980s.

  • kat miller

    Yes, they were the basis for Lilly Tomlin’s joke about being at the corner of “Walk” and “Don’t Walk.” There was even one on L Street that said, “Don’t Start.”

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