7 Children's Books Up

There's no mystery in the 7Up part of this ad, as it's the famous soft drink known as Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda that dates to 1929, but there's something a bit intriguing about the evidence we have of this sign's history. My guess is that it was painted before the now-demolished neighboring building went up, and it was the addition of that abutment that accounts for the two-tone coloring of the signs. That theory would leave the two bottles on the left, with their blue-shaded background, as closer to the original. Lileks contemplates the same question and offers a close up.

But there's also an ad here for Lerner Publications, which the front of the building says dates to 1959. It seems still to be in operation and wikipedia says it's one of the largest independently owned publishers of children's books. This building is still the company's headquarters.

The sign faces Hennepin Avenue on the back of 241 1st Ave. N.