Snapshots of the Past

Which do you prefer? – Antique Wall Art

Which do you prefer?, 1955 April 18. — historic photograph
Which do you prefer?, 1955 April 18.. Historic photograph from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This historic photograph of Which do you prefer? brings a moment of history to your wall. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

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Its title poses a question directly to the viewer, "Which do you prefer?", and the caption card files it under traffic signals, which suggests a side-by-side comparison of competing signal designs. By the mid-1950s American cities had used electric traffic lights for several decades, and engineers and the public still argued over their shape, color, and placement. The record tentatively credits Wide World, a news photo agency, though that attribution is unverified. Pictures like this one were often used in press coverage to show readers a civic choice in visual terms.

Created / published1955 April 18.
Medium1 photographic print.
NotesPhotoprint by Wide World?. This record contains unverified data from caption card. Caption card tracings: Traffic signals; Geogr.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,239 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-155870

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