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Earl Scheib
Photographer: Mark Stroup
Date: May 18, 2004
Place: Penn Avenue, Wilkinsburg
Why this sign?
"Any car, any color, $29.95," was what paint chemist, franchise owner, and TV pitchman Earl Scheib used to say on the commercials, urging all of America to take advantage of an inexpensive paint job.
This Wilkinsburg shop is one of a number of Scheib auto paint stores that have closed down, but over 100 are still open. Italic, extra-bold, futura-style lettering, and the S's long tail gives the Scheib name a dynamic look. Scheib died in 1992 at the age of 84, but by virtue of owning the largest chain of autobody paint shops in the nation, his name has made it into the American vernacular, into many a Johnny Carson monologue, and even into the Steve Martin movie Roxanne.
For those who pay attention to such things, Earl Scheib has revenues of about 36 million a year and is partially owned (36 percent) by Gabelli Funds, which is partially owned (six percent) by Bill Gates, according to a financial information company called Hoover's Online.
I'm guessing the steel latticework holding up the sign is about ten or twelve-feet high.
Posted by Mark at May 19, 2004 12:44 AM