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October 28, 2014 by tomdalzell

Signs of University Avenue

When I posted photos of the signs of San Pablo Avenue, I could argue somewhat persuasively that the funkiness of San Pablo Avenue elevated the everyday to quirky.  University Avenue does not have the panache of San Pablo Avenue, but I find signs to be inherently interesting and significant cultural markers.

Take, for example, the signs in these older photos taken at the intersection of University and Shattuck:

EB_106

IMG_2082 University-Avenue-1957-Staniers-Berkeley-57Palmer's Drug University and Shattuck

Key_UnivShat

To remind – here is the northeast corner today, what used to be MacFarland’s and is today destined for the wrecking ball:

"Quirky Berkeley"

In this spirit – the spirit of signs as cultural markers – I offer these photos of signs along University Avenue in 2014.  Not all the signs though – I am posting the signs advertising Indian businesses separately, cleverly calling them The Signs of Little India.  Excluding India, here are the signs that I found Of Interest on University:

2154 University

2154 University

2156 University

2156 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2145 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2140 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2131 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2131 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2131 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2131 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2125 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2086 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2072 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2071 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2068 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2067 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2066 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2058 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2057 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2051 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2049 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2048 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2045 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2042 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2049 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2026 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2021 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2021 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2021 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2020 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

2017 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1974 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1966 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1966 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1966 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1964 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1960 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1956 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1952 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1944 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1944 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1944 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1941 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1941 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1940 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1923 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1915 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1909 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1906 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1904 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1902 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1865 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1865 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1865 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1825 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1825 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1821 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1809 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1807 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1738 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1738 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1738 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1738 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1734 University

Quirky Berkeley

1720 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1717 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1703 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1703 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1700 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1700 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1699 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1680 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1650 University

"Quirky Berkeley"

1633 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1484 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1478 University (Fox Court)

"Quirky Berkeley "

1465 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1463 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1399 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1399 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1399 University

"Quirky Berkeley "

1420 University

921 University

921 University

997 University

997 University

1110-1112 University

1110-1112 University

1111 University

1111 University

1111 University

1111 University

1140 University

1140 University

1140 University

1140 University

1140 University

1140 University

1160 University

1160 University

1160 University

1160 University

1198 University

1198 University

1201 University (RIP Peter Howard and Serendipty)

1201 University (RIP Peter Howard and Serendipty)

1201 University

1201 University

1265 University

1265 University

1970 Chestnut facing University

1970 Chestnut facing University

2001 San Pablo on University

2001 San Pablo on University

 

 

 

I took the photos to show my friend.  He was clearly up to something.  He handed me a brochure from 1939.

Levis-Guide-to-Treasure-Island-500x439

I said I would be more than interested in finding out why he thought that this was of interest and that I would be more than willing to do anything he wanted to do in pursuit of whatever it was he thought that was of interest, but first I wanted his take on the photos of the signs of University Avenue.  He looked through them, smiling at times to himself.  He then said:

IMG_3677

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