i posted about this on my personal, but recently i have become really interested in harrison mayes signs… here’s a snippet of info from an appalachian history website: “Appalachia also had a roadsign painter for God by the name of Henry Harrison Mayes (1898-1986). Mayes, a Kentucky coal miner, began his roadside mission in 1917. Feeling that his life had been spared after a mining accident, Mr. Mayes decided to serve God by sharing the Good News with passing motorists. Mayes used money he made as a free-lance sign painter to support his advertising crusade, an effort that resulted in crosses being erected in forty-four states. All the while Mayes continued to work, full time for 43 years, for the Fork Ridge Coal Company in the mines of Mingo Hollow.”
essentially he went around erecting (without permission!) these big concrete signs in the shape of hearts and crosses that say things like “prepare to meet god” and “make right with god” etc and they’re so strange and beautiful. i had seen photos of them floating around on tumblr but it was really exciting to find one today in mebane, NC. i feel really lucky that one exists here. took lots of cool film and dropped off a roll today so i can share some 35mm photos of these signs. there’s an especially creepy sign in andrews, NC (photo here) it seems like the more interesting roadside things are in the western part of the state, closer to appalachia and the mountains so i was happy to find one in central north carolina.
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