Henry Harrison Mayes - Jesus is coming - heart shaped marker in Conway, AR

Conway, AR, Harrison Mayes Marker considered for the National Register of Historic Places

Apparently, Conway’s Harrison Mayes Marker, that I documented here and that kicked off my interest in Mayes’ work which resulted in this website, is nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. The Arkansas properties that will be considered by the State Review Board come from all over the state and illustrate the rich and…

New and Updated Harrison Mayes Markers and Signs

New and Updated Harrison Mayes Markers and Signs

Since I began documenting Henry Harrison Mayes work online, I knew I would rely on people who know more than I do and visited places I will never be able to visit. I found that the people who conserved the most knowledge before internet posts on blogs or social media were a thing, were three…

“Get Right With God” road sign, Indiana, Mississippi, March 1977 by William R. Ferris
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“Get Right With God” road sign, Indiana, Mississippi, March 1977 by William R. Ferris

It’s hard to tell if this is a genuine Mayes cross. I’ve seen images of crosses with a similar typeface attributed to him. Those were older, and given the bad paint job and the time frame of William R. Ferris photo, this might be one of those older crosses, painted over by someone who “took…

Exterior view of a house, Leslie County, Kentucky, 1949

Exterior view of a house, Leslie County, Kentucky, 1949

There is a high probability that this is an early sign made by Harrison Mayes, photographed by Eliot Elisofon for the feature “The Fruitful Mountaineers” in the TIME Magazine, Dec. 1949. The photo doesn’t appear in the magazine, but in a blog post, that is not publicly available any more (archived version). Time Magazine, Dec….

Two Faux Signs?

Two Faux Signs?

I found these two photos that resemble Harrison Mayes’ work, but I’m not 100% certain. His typography has undoubtedly influenced them. Photographer Don Dudenbostel posted some more photos and some background information on this photography forum.

Three new metal signs in SE Georgia added to the map

Three new metal signs in SE Georgia added to the map

A kind person from the internet tipped me off with three location of extant Henry Harrison Mayes “GET RIGHT WITH GOD” signs. All three are heart-shaped metal signs with red-green letters. This is the first time I’ve seen those in the wild (means lately photographed by Google street view). All three seem to be from…

Get Right With God – Happy Ending (Sign, Speedwell, TN)

Get Right With God – Happy Ending (Sign, Speedwell, TN)

Sign by Henry Harrison Mayes in near Old-Hwy 63, Speedwell, TN Location: 36.52185783000347, -83.74941173203882 According to “A Coal Miner’s Simple Message” Book, a cross was relocated from Middlesborro to Speedwell, TN to Bill Hatfields property. I wasn’t able to find it via street view or satellite images, but I found a painted Mayes sign. Hatfield…