Rare Polo Grounds Trolley/Bus Sign

Auction: 2023 Fall Classic

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2023 Fall Classic
Baseball Memorabilia

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Rare Polo Grounds Trolley/Bus Sign

Presented is a rare circa 1940s trolley/bus Polo Grounds sign, the type that is placed at the top of the front of the bus or trolley and indicates destinations for the bus. The Polo Grounds destination on the metal sign display is viewed through a horizontal opening and that destination is one of many on a roll of possible destinations that the bus or trolley driver could turn with a crank at the top of the metal sign. The destinations seem to have been screen printed on a type of woven material. The destinations are painted white and the background roll is painted black. The crank on the sign is not operable, and the woven roll does not actually operate and there are several tears and rips on the woven roll. The Polo Grounds that most people know about was actually the Polo Grounds IV, in Upper Manhattan. It opened in 1911, and it was demolished in 1964. The New York Giants played there from 1911 until after end of the 1957 season, after which the club moved to San Francisco. With the Polo Grounds as home, the Giants played in five World Series. The New York Mets had the Polo Grounds as their home field in 1962-63. Among many other teams playing there were the New York Football Giants, the New York Titans/Jets, and the New York Yankees. The Polo Grounds was also the site of big-time boxing, college football, and soccer. The metal bus/trolley sign is approx. 31.25" in length, from 4 to 5 inches in depth, and 5.5" high. It weighs 15 lbs. The green paint is faded and chipped, and the metal shows rust. The sign does not operate and the elements of the sign, included the woven roll of destinations, is extremely fragile. During shipping, the woven roll of bus destinations may move, and the Polo Grounds destination may not show through the sign's window, and the already damaged destination roll may need to be carefully hand rolled back into place so that "Polo Grounds" is again visible in the window. Although the metal sign shows great wear, and the woven roll of destinations has tears and does not function, the view of "Polo Grounds" in the destination window is sure to evoke nostalgia for the Polo Grounds in its heyday.