1920s Turn Signal With Chinese Characters Made in USA

[DB26]

Hello everyone,
 

I wanted to show everyone this flea market find I picked it up at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. I knew it was 20s and had to have it. I’ve got a thing for 20s technology. I looked up the company and it appears they made auto signaling devices in the late teens and twenties.
 

This signal is double sided. Someone has replaced the glass with plexiglass and added new light filter gells. I had to clean all the contacts and rewire some of the harness to get the lights going. It has 6 bulbs, 3 on each side. The bulbs are “Franco” brand 6-8 volts and have the old fashioned “tip” where they created the vacuum seal at the top. They are the all the same bulb and all still work. I can get photos of the inside and bulbs if there is any interest. Thanks 

 

 

[wayne sheldon]

Interesting! One must wonder why English and Chinese (?) writing? American made for use in Chinatown?

[1937hd45]

I don't think it is automotive. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[JFranklin]

2 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

I don't think it is automotive. 

What else do you think it could be?

[1937hd45]

What are the Asian language letters? Is it  a rest room direction sign for a hallway inside a building? 

[John E. Guitar]

16 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

What are the Asian language letters? Is it  a rest room direction sign for a hallway inside a building? 

Left, right, stop.

[1937hd45]

7 minutes ago, John E. Guitar said:

Left, right, stop.

If you say so, why are the all lit at the same time? 

[DB26]

9 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

If you say so, why are the all lit at the same time? 

That’s my doing. Testing all lights at once. They are suppose to be lit individually. 

[36humpback]

4 hours ago, DB26 said:

Hello everyone,
 

I wanted to show everyone this flea market find I picked it up at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. I knew it was 20s and had to have it. I’ve got a thing for 20s technology. I looked up the company and it appears they made auto signaling devices in the late teens and twenties.
 

This signal is double sided. Someone has replaced the glass with plexiglass and added new light filter gells. I had to clean all the contacts and rewire some of the harness to get the lights going. It has 6 bulbs, 3 on each side. The bulbs are “Franco” brand 6-8 volts and have the old fashioned “tip” where they created the vacuum seal at the top. They are the all the same bulb and all still work. I can get photos of the inside and bulbs if there is any interest. Thanks 

 

 

Maybe a traffic signal sign for China town?  If it were automotive, wouldn't it need at least 2 flashers?

[John348]

4 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

I don't think it is automotive. 

I agree

[John E. Guitar]

Smith Auto Signal, from The Automobile Journal & Automobile Dealer and Repairer magazine - 1918.

 

You could probably find ads for the Chinese version in the Far East automotive journals of the era.

 

Interesting link here:

 

https://chinacarhistory.com/2020/12/27/the-shanghai-body-builders-of-the-1920s/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by John E. Guitar (see edit history)

[John348]

I'll be darned!

[Skvitt]

Once upon the time things were made in the USA and exported to China.......

[Walt G]

Seeing this and the comments made my day! Thanks everyone. I love that light you found and the others in the period advertisements. Now I have something else to look for.

Hey Christmas is only 8 months away , and the automotive holiday shopping season/location is in eastern Pennsylvania (where they make chocolate too) in early October.

Walt

[DB26]

9 hours ago, John E. Guitar said:

Smith Auto Signal, from The Automobile Journal & Automobile Dealer and Repairer magazine - 1918.

 

You could probably find ads for the Chinese version in the Far East automotive journals of the era.

 

Interesting link here:

 

https://chinacarhistory.com/2020/12/27/the-shanghai-body-builders-of-the-1920s/

 

 

 

Wowey! Thanks for the all the great advertising! This is more information than I could have hoped for. Makes my little light that much more special. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by DB26 (see edit history)

[dodge28]

Quite interesting. Is the language Chinese or Japanese. The 2  language characters different.

[8E45E]

Shanghai Horse & Bazaar Co. in Shanghai was a coachbuilder for many US makes of cars, including Studebaker:  

Where did "Smiths Signal Corporation" originate from?  As per the period ads, Weiss & Sinclair were US Distributors implying they were made elsewhere, like England. (Are they related to Smith's, who made dashboard gauges and heaters for most British cars for years and years?)

 

Craig

[DB26]

3 hours ago, dodge28 said:

Quite interesting. Is the language Chinese or Japanese. The 2  language characters different.

I assumed Chinese because if you google “stop in Chinese” The simplified Chinese character is the same. But I don’t know much about foreign languages so I could be wrong. 

[old car fan]

Great  peice,

[Stude Light]

That is a cool system. Although slightly off the OP's topic but related....

 

I installed turn signals made by one of Smith Signals competitors on my 1921 Oldsmobile and 1923 Studebaker. These were made by the Diamond Signal Company out of San Francisco with patent dates of 1917 and 1918. 

 

What I like about this design is, using a more modern approach with a relay, it allows for turn signals or hazards. This is as set up on the 1921 Olds

The steering column mounted unit has 4 positions

1) Forward Center is off

2) Left is Left Turn

3) Right is Right Turn

4) Rearward Center lights both turn signals (which, before relays were around, would be both lights solid or STOP but with a relay is flashing HAZARDS)

 

The control unit also has a small light that faces the driver to remind them the signal is on. This is the one installed in the Studebaker and you can easily see the rear facing light.

Patent dates

 

So even back in the teens there were a few companies that took advantage of the new electric light systems to improve safety, even before most OEMs offered stop lights.

Scott

 

 

 

[John E. Guitar]

10 hours ago, dodge28 said:

Quite interesting. Is the language Chinese or Japanese. The 2  language characters different.

It's correct for Chinese.

 

Japanese has three lettering systems, hiragana, katakana & kanji. Kanji is based on Chinese characters so it could also be correct for Japan.

 

The other possibility is that the Chinese has been added more recently for use as a movie prop, e.g. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or something like that.

[30DodgePanel]

20 hours ago, Skvitt said:

Once upon the time things were made in the USA and exported to China.......

 

Exactly what my first thought was when I seen the light in the first post. 

After studying export magazines like the American Exporter and Automotive Industries for years I think many on here would be shocked to find out just how much was exported to China at that time. I know the younger generation are clueless to it for the most part...

 

I also think the "patent applied for" topic is fascinating. Thankfully volunteers have digitized a lot of this stuff so we can find it and prove it's existence. 

Kudos  @John E. Guitar for finding it in a search. Good detective work!  

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by 30DodgePanel (see edit history)

[Frank Tate]

OK!  I had to show this to my Chinese wife and she started laughing.  The characters are correct, but they are opposite of the arrows.  The left arrow character say right and vice versa.  Not sure why!  lol 🤣

[John E. Guitar]

2 hours ago, Frank Tate said:

OK!  I had to show this to my Chinese wife and she started laughing.  The characters are correct, but they are opposite of the arrows.  The left arrow character say right and vice versa.  Not sure why!  lol 🤣

The two sides are different. One side faces forward and the other side faces back. I guess they set it up to be correct from the drivers point of view.

Edited April 20, 2023 by John E. Guitar (see edit history)

[gungeey]

The signal itself may be antique. I speculate that modern glass along with the artwork behind it was added to the original sign.

[DB26]

1 hour ago, gungeey said:

The signal itself may be antique. I speculate that modern glass along with the artwork behind it was added to the original sign.

I will get pictures of the inside. The symbols are cut out of a sheet of brass or something. The glass slides into the brass sheet and the brass sheet slides into the frame. 

[RAH]

Not meaning to preempt the original op but since StUDE LIGHT brought up the Diamond Electric signal Co. Here are a set of those on my '15 Dodge Brothers Roadster.  The controller is slightly different from his but here they are. It took several years to make a complete set. My roadster has the REX All Seasons top and the brackets that would have held the top saddles I decided to give a new job holding the rear turn signals. I created and cast those mount brackets. Since the rear lights were now up at eye level I created mounts for the front lights to fasten under the  windshield stanchions. 

[RAH]

I forgot to mention MY  controller has three positions Left, Right AND in the center  by pressing UP connects to BOTH For the "Hazzard' indication. Nothing is NEW only redesigned!

[Stude Light]

53 minutes ago, RAH said:

Not meaning to preempt the original op but since StUDE LIGHT brought up the Diamond Electric signal Co. Here are a set of those on my '15 Dodge Brothers Roadster.  The controller is slightly different from his but here they are. It took several years to make a complete set. My roadster has the REX All Seasons top and the brackets that would have held the top saddles I decided to give a new job holding the rear turn signals. I created and cast those mount brackets. Since the rear lights were now up at eye level I created mounts for the front lights to fasten under the  windshield stanchions. 

Nice. I had 5 full sets of the Diamond Signal systems. Two are on my cars and I have two friends that I gave a set to and I have one spare set for a future car. On my two cars I put a double element in the front cowl lights to get turn signals up there.

[TAKerry]

On 4/20/2023 at 8:14 AM, Frank Tate said:

OK!  I had to show this to my Chinese wife and she started laughing.  The characters are correct, but they are opposite of the arrows.  The left arrow character say right and vice versa.  Not sure why!  lol 🤣

Could it be the writing for the direction is over under, not top and bottom? Doesnt go with how the stop is written but....................

[John348]

4 hours ago, TAKerry said:

Could it be the writing for the direction is over under, not top and bottom? Doesnt go with how the stop is written but....................

I was thinking the same thing, until "STOP" even though then lens was backwards, but....... still real cool piece. I do like the toggle switch 

[DB26]

Here are the photos of the inside. You can see the way everything slides together and how the bulbs are the old fashioned type.