In this day of vulgar advertising, where it seems that nothing is out of limits as far as personal or questionable taste, it seems appropriate to talk about Burma-Shave.

The product was produced by the O'Dell family in a small factory in Minneapolis - the Burma-Vita Company. They originally made and sold liniment and most of the essential oils in the product came from Burma and the “Vita” was Latin for life, thus the name meant “life from Burma.”

Unfortunately, sales were disappointing, and it was pointed out to the O'Dells that in order to sell liniment you had to find someone who wasn't feeling well, and even then as soon as they felt better there was no repeat business. They decided to search for a product which had wider appeal and decided to experiment with the brushless shave cream which had been used to some extent during World War I.

In a note to history, shaving had always been somewhat of an ordeal, requiring a mug with soap, warm water and a soft bristled brush. Brushes all had the same problem - they mildewed, stunk and were generally an unsanitary item. Many other manufacturers had the same idea and there was considerable competition, including Barbisol, Molle', Krank's, Colgate, Williams, Palmolive and many others.

After about 300 formulations, they went back to No. 143 and decided to go with it. They marketed it as Burma-Shave. Over the years, the Burma-Vita Co. would market many products including hair tonic, razor blades, tooth paste and powder, but make no mistake, it was the brushless shaving cream for which they were famous, as a result of a whim of advertising dreamed up by Allen O'Dell. He decided to erect a set of sequential signs along the highways leading from Minneapolis to Red Wing and Albert Lea, Minn. The original signs were not in verse: “Shave the Modern Way / Fine for the skin / Druggists have it / Burma Shave.”

In those days, advertisers preferred long blocks of copy composed around the reason “why.” Various soap manufacturers tried to convince everyone that they were needlessly malodorous and numerous manufacturers were preaching that infrequent and faulty bowel movements were both a national disgrace and a grievous personal failure.

It was upon this scene that the O'Dells arrived with their distinctive and ironic humor. Over the years, more than 600 verses were placed alongside the roads of America in every state except Utah, Nevada and Massachusetts and in more than 16,000 locations. Originally the O'Dells wrote the verses themselves such as: “He played / A sax / Had no B.O./ But his whiskers scratched / So she let him go / Burma Shave.”

There was always an underlying message including safety, patriotism, opposite sex attraction, product quality and complete irreverence to other advertisers.

The format decided on was six signs with the fifth one delivering the “punch line” and the sixth always Burma Shave. There were only two “anonymous” verses ever put up: “Just this once / And just for fun / We'll let / You finish / What we've begun / ????? “ and the famous: “If you don't know / Whose signs / These are/ You can't have driven / Very far.”

Over the years, some verses became more popular than others and were recycled, such as: “The bearded lady / Tried a jar/ She's now / A famous / Movie star / Burma Shave.”

As electric shavers became more common, the following appeared along the roads: “A silky cheek / Shaved smooth / And clean / Is not obtained / With a mowing machine / Burma Shave.”

Eventually yearly contests were held and $100 paid for winning verses. The first contest drew more than 20,000 entries, and the final selection was made by one of the O'Dell's. Absolutely nothing in poor taste was ever used. Safety was a common theme - one of my favorites: “Remember this / If you'd be spared / Trains don't whistle / Because they're / Scared / Burma Shave,” or: “At intersections / Look each way / A harp sounds nice / But it's hard / To play / Burma Shave.”

The signs that I remember being closest to Weedsport were going out of Elbridge on Route 5 where for many years you could read: “Cattle crossing / Means go slow / That old bull / Is some / Cow's beau / Burma Shave.”

The shortest verse ever? “From / Bar / To car / To gates / Ajar / Burma Shave,” and another of my favorites: “When the stork / Delivers a boy / Our whole / Darn factor / Jumps for joy / Burma Shave.”

Although the signs were with us for nearly 40 years from 1925 to 1963, they've now been gone longer than that, but still widely remembered and quoted. In 1963, the aging O'Dell's decided to sell their company to a major tobacco firm and predictably the first thing they did was to take down the signs. Within just a few years, the company was out of business.

Still today however, visitors to the Smithsonian Institute Transportation Center or the Henry Ford Museum may view forever the O'Dell family's personal favorite: “Within this vale / Of Toil / And sin / Your head grows bald / But not your chin / Burma Shave.”

I couldn't resist writing about one of my favorite topics this month. I have the entire collection of verses, including some which were never used. One last verse: “Shaving brushes / You'll soon see 'em / On the shelf / In some / Museum / Burma Shave.”

Sure enough we have several in the museum!

Denny Randall is president of the Old Brutus Historical Society in Weedsport.