I snapped this picture, attracted by the colorfully painted sign and its position on the building. It’s not the most attractive architecture, but it appears functional and sufficiently industrial. We have extra visual points for the whitewashed walls and the exposed bricks.

I Googled “Smalti Per Carrozzeria,” which is unsurprisingly Italian and translates to “enamel for bodywork,” or essentially automotive paint. It seemed odd to have such a sign in a small city in Texas, but perhaps there was once an auto repair business nearby. There’s no evidence of such a business now.

More expected was a sign for Coca-Cola or cigarettes back when they were allowed to advertise freely. I didn’t see any classic Americana signs during my walk, though admittedly, I didn’t scour the walls for some faded gems.

Blog readers, you’ll love my free monthly photography magazine. Signup for the free magazine to get articles and topics not discussed on the blog.