The Village Seal of Whitesboro

The village of Whitesboro is located in upstate New York. It was founded in 1788 by Hugh White. The village seal depicts "a friendly wrestling match that helped foster good relations between White and the Indians." It was created in 1963 by local artist George E. Pugh to commemmorate the Village's Sesquicentennial.

Unfortunately, some people think the seal looks more like Hugh White choking an Indian. In fact, in 1977 a complaint was filed with the Village Board arguing that the seal "demeans, disgraces and creates prejudice and distrust of Indian people." The Village was asked to stop displaying the seal. However, the villagers felt that the wrestling match was an important event in the history of their town, so instead they redesigned the seal so that Hugh White's hands were placed on the Indian's shoulders and not so close to his neck.

What you're seeing in the image below is apparently the redesigned seal that to this day appears on many of their municipal vehicles. If it still looks to you like White is choking the guy, that's obviously your own violent mind interpreting the image in that way. Anyone can see it's just a friendly sporting match! (Thanks to Ted Seaman for the contribution.)

Posted By: Alex - Sun Mar 22, 2009 - Comments (12)
Category: Regionalism, Signage

Strange Congo Signage

World-traveler Peter Danssaert contributes this photo of a sign he saw in Kisangani, the Congo.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 04, 2009 - Comments (11)
Category: Business, Advertising, Money, Signage, Billboards, Foreign Customs, Africa

Lost in Translation

I'm posting this from a Starbucks in Bremen, Germany. (I'd prefer to be in a German cafe, but Starbucks turns out to be the easiest place to find an internet connection.)

Most Germans speak very good English. Which means it's not common to find the kind of bizarre translation errors that are a common feature of Japanese or Chinese English. But they do pop up occasionally. I walked past this sign outside my hotel in Bremen at least ten times before I noticed that something was wrong with it.

This German department store would probably have to change its name if it wanted to open a chain in America.

Finally, when I saw these "Berliners" (jelly donuts) on sale, it reminded me of one of the most famous mistranslation urban legends of all time: the claim that when Kennedy proclaimed "Ich bin ein Berliner" to a crowd in Berlin on June 26, 1963, that he was actually proclaiming he was a jelly donut. Yes, a Berliner is a jelly donut, but the word can also mean a citizen of Berlin, and everyone in the crowd would have known what he meant.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Oct 27, 2008 - Comments (2)
Category: Regionalism, Signage, Travel

Weird Poster

[Photographed in Providence, Rhode Island, October 2008, corner of North Main and Branch.]

If anyone can possibly explain the meaning of this poster, please do so.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 20, 2008 - Comments (14)
Category: Aliens, Art, Sexuality, Signage, Posters, Gender-bending

Donation Meters

How to solve the problem of unruly panhandlers?

The donation meter!

The picture here portrays one in Denver, which I found on the Flickr page of msitarzewski.

Read all about Atlanta's recent experiment with donation meters here.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 29, 2008 - Comments (10)
Category: Bums, Hobos, Tramps, Beggars, Panhandlers and Other Streetpeople, Entertainment, Government, Money, Charity, Signage, Stupidity, Experiments

Japanese “Do Not” Signs

The one on the left is self-explanatory, though odd. The meaning of the one on the right, however, is a complete mystery to me. Do not sit on the little cone person?

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 31, 2008 - Comments (3)
Category: Signage

Little Bells and Pepper Spray

Click on the image for an amusing warning.

This photo comes to me via the two-person chain of North Peterson and Michael Bishop.

Thanks, guys!

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 24, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Death, Signage, Paul