1940s. Single-sided tin (SST). Embossed. The Arbor restaurant officially opened in 1920 with an initial focus on ice cream. After WWII, they shifted the menu from ice cream (which was scarce during the war) to a more substantial fare, including their now-famous foot-long hot dogs and their legendary signature fruit drink "Golden Glow". This is an early sign used not long after the restaurant launched along the north shore of Fort Erie in Norfolk County, Ontario. All items are guaranteed authentic by Miller & Miller Auctions. All purchases are eligible for free delivery to the Check the Oil Show on June 26, 2026. 6" x 24".

Size
6" x 24".

Condition
Excellent colour and gloss with some dullness and staining particularly in the lower quarter. Some crazing with stable flaking to the surface of the embossed letters.

Medium
STMS is perhaps one of Canada’s best-known sign companies. The company was established in 1918, the same year it built its manufacturing plant in St. Thomas, Ontario. The location was chosen for its electric service (only the 4th city in Ontario to have such service) and its close proximity to shipping via the Canada Southern Railway. These factors allowed the plant to operate at full manufacturing capacity with quick access to huge markets in both Canada and the United States. STMS produced stamped metal and enamel signs, embossed tin signs, custom signs, coolers, the Coca-Cola Vendo Model 216 and street signs among a variety of other items. They remain best known for producing quality metal signs but are equally as famous for P.T. Barnum’s Jumbo the circus elephant who died in St. Thomas in 1885 after being struck by an unscheduled freight train. It stands to reason that in 1935, on the 50th anniversary of Jumbo’s death, STMS produced a sign to commemorate the event. The company ceased operation in 1965.