Harry Potter would approve of this address plaque.

Expelliarmus!!

The epic journey of Harry Potter came to an end on July 16, 2011 when the final movie was released. The Harry Potter phenomenon was unlike any other. By the time that the seventh book came out, millions of people were waiting. The eight movies made 7 billion dollars off of a 1 billion dollar budget.

We wanted to honor that impressive achievement with our very own sign, but we couldn’t think of how. Then we remembered the unique font from the covers and went with it. The font on the Lumos Address Plaque is called… well, Lumos and takes its primary inspiration from the covers of the Harry Potter books. We feel that this address plaque would fit from Hogsmeade to 12 Grimmaud Place to Platform 9 3/4. But not just wizards can have this sign. We can make it for anyone and we’ll fully customize it. Make it say what you want it to say and have fun. We’ll wave our wands and have it on the way in two weeks! You don’t even need an owl to get it.

As always, our signs and plaques are made in the US from American Materials and Labor.

Keep Calm and Carry On, but we have some astounding news for you.

A Very British Warning

As one of the more popular parodies of this sign has it, “Now Panic and Freak Out”. But what is it about this sign that is so popular? Is it the fact that the classic design is so easy to parody? We have absolutely no idea, but we are offering an update to our original Keep Calm and Carry On Plaque.

Now you have the option of customizing the text to whatever you like. “Kelp Clam at the Carry Out” to confuse people? Sure, why not! The aforementioned “Now Panic and Freak Out” with an inverted crown? Or maybe “Sit Down and Have Dinner” with a plate of food. Or even “Steak and Kidney Pie” for your British Pub!

But what exactly is the “Keep Calm and Carry On” sign? During the beginning of World War II, the British Government began producing propaganda posters urging citizens to be safe, watch out for spies, and the general advice that governments give to their citizens during warfare. There were three major designs and this design (the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’) was being held in reserve in case England was invaded. When the war ended, the British government destroyed the signs that were not used.

The Classic, but with a Twist

Now our story jumps ahead 50 years and into a bookshop in Northern England (Barter Books in Northumberland, to be precise). The owners discovered an original poster and had it framed and hung in their store. Eventually, enough people saw it and asked if it were for sale that the owners began printing copies and selling them. And thus a phenomena was born.

The original poster was made with white text on a red background with King George VI’s crown as the top image. We’ve chosen to use our metal finishes to make these signs stand out even more. But the best part is you choose the finish. Iron rust, for the initial similarity? Silver-nickel, to set a futuristic tone? Bronze, for the classical good looks? You decide and we’ll make it just how you want it.

Made in the USA from American materials and Labor.

“Es un lagarto!”

Bring the Everglades Home

When the first Spanish explorers landed in Florida , they were greeted with a toothy smile. They recognized that it was a lizard (un lagarto), but never actually named it. Four hundred years later, we know and love (or are scared witless by) the alligator.

Bring the Florida Everglades to your Miami, Florida, or Southern home with the Alligator Address Plaque! Well, you can bring them anywhere you’d like and our original target is more Southern, but it’s your choice. For example, you get to choose if you want a new piece of wall art, a welcome sign, or an address plaque. Just put “welcome” on the sign and you’ve got a great way to greet friends and guests. We felt like The Zoo needed something tropical and with more teeth. Show your roots or just support the gator. The plaque is 16″ wide by 10.5″ tall, which is a great size for a standard address.

But what’s even better about this sign is the knowledge that you will never see another sign just like this one. Because our signs are handcrafted and the vagaries of the patina, every sign we make is subtly different.

And of course, all of our signs and plaques are made from American labor and American materials in Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

Bicycles are the most efficient form of transportation and now you can enjoy the nice look of a Sprocket Address Plaque.

32 Tooth Sprocket

Most of the people at Atlas Signs and Plaques ride bicycles, some could be called “avid” or even “rabid” riders of both mountain and road bikes.  A few of us also enjoy steampunk fiction and alternate history.

We were sitting around one day and we thought out loud, “Wait a minute… why don’t we have a bicycle themed address plaque?” “I know! Sprockets!” “Brilliant!” “And it’ll be a neat Steampunk Plaque!” And thus the Sprocket Address Plaque was born.

We made a 32-tooth sprocket just for you. Tell the world that gears and sprockets are your thing. In fact, gears have been in use for more than 2000 years, so even though we’ve added a modern flair, a long history rests behind it. Our signs will also last for a long time, thanks to our real metal coating and marine-grade clearcoat. Isn’t technology wonderful?

Go check it out!

As always, our signs and plaques are made from American labor and materials.

Do you own a Dedicated Historic Residential Property in the city or county of Honolulu, Oahu? You may want to know that you are required to have a plaque in front of your historic property to reap the tax benefits and bring attention to your Hawaiian Historic Residence.

Looks Like Cast Bronze, But Lightweight and Light on Your Wallet

The Historic Hawaii Foundation does offer signs, but they cost $850 plus shipping and taxes, which drives the price up to almost a thousand dollars. On the other hand, our historical plaques are much less expensive for the same size. In fact, for a 14″ by 18″ historical sign, we only charge $284 plus shipping and handling. That’s one-third the cost for an 80% larger sign.

How? Our signs are made from HDU, a high-quality sign board and a real metal coating. HDU was originally developed for the aerospace industry, but soon after its introduction, sign makers and hobbyists discovered its light weight, lack of grain, and lower cost. With our real metal coating, you can’t tell a HDU and metal coat sign from a full cast bronze plaque by look. But your pocketbook will know!

What’s even better is that with our signs you get the choice of metal finish. We have eight options, including bronze patina, copper verdi, and silver-nickel. Because all of our signs are completely custom, you also get exactly what you want. On top of your choice of finish, you can also get different mounting systems including T-30 Deck Screws through the face of the sign, U-Bolts for a fence, a stylish hanging mount, or a stake mount. Again, because our signs are entirely custom-made, you have complete control over the design. We can make your sign fit with regulations or just fit your fancy.

But this isn’t just for Hawaii. We can do historical signs for anyone, anywhere. Just contact us with the details and we’ll make you a historical sign that you can treasure for years.

What could make us even more appealing?  All of our signs are hand-made in the United States from American Materials and Labor in our facility in Lake Mills,Wisconsin.