Sign, Trade
Object number2023.127.1
MediumBronze; Paint; Crayon
Credit LineGift of Barbara Fischer
DescriptionRectangular bronze building sign. Front has gold-colored border with beveled edge. Front has brown painted textured background and raised gold-colored store name. One hole in each corner for mounting, each hole has interior beveled edge. Reverse is deeply inset with rough surface with handwritten yellow text.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 15.938 x 19.875 x 0.625 in. (40.5 x 50.5 x 1.6 cm)SignedReverse has red handwritten mark in one corner (top proper right corner) that may be a signature or initials.
InscriptionsFront has raised gold text "NATIONAL / RECORD / MART".
MarksReverse has handwritten yellow text "34-4862 / D PF / 800".
Reverse has raised number "10" near center.
Historical NotesSign from the National Record Mart store in downtown Pittsburgh. National Record Mart was the first music store chain in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Hyman Shapiro and his sons, Sam and Howard, as Jitterbug Records in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The store originally sold used jukebox records but soon expanded and began selling new records. By the beginning of WWII, there were two stores bearing the National Record Mart (NRM) name. While the sons served in the armed forces during WWII, their wives and father ran the business. The business was a success for nearly four decades. In 1986, the Shapiro family sold the business. At its peak there were more than 130 stores. National Record Mart closed the last of its stores in 2002.
Related institution
National Record Mart
(Closed 2002)
Related person
Hyman Shapiro
Related person
Sam Shapiro
Related person
Howard Shapiro
On View
Not on view
Mike Young
1964
James H. Matthews and Company