Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is an incredibly rare sign to come across. This is a “enamel porcelain” sign for the Arsenal of Democracy. "Arsenal of democracy" refers to the collective efforts of American industry in supporting the Allies, which efforts tended to be concentrated in the established industrial centers of the U.S., such as Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Rochester, Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh, among other cities.

Signs made from enamel or porcelain were one of the most durable and robust. Also, their weather-resistance made them a favorite of gas and service stations whose signs are often exposed to the elements. Its inherent strength also made it a perfect canvas for the often bold and colorful illustrations as it would age incredibly well. Today, enamel and porcelain signs are one of the most common and popular collectibles for both petroliana collectors and art-deco enthusiasts.

The sign is in fantastic condition for its age and still bears all legible text and artwork. The text on the sign reads as:

DEFENSE
PLANT
PART OF THE
ARSENAL OF
DEMOCRACY

In 1938, Congress chartered the Defense Plant Corporation, which, in anticipation of hostilities, was assigned the task of expanding production capabilities for military equipment. Its charter permitted both the building and equipping of new facilities and the expansion of existing facilities.

The sign does have the expected wear and pock marks from small caliber rounds, as these signs often fell victim to roadside shooting contests. There are no holes present in the sign aside from the ones intentionally made for hanging the sign. There is material loss but it just adds to the beauty of the sign.

This would make for an excellent wall hanger and comes more than ready for further research and display.

Arsenal of Democracy
"Arsenal of Democracy" was the central phrase used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio broadcast on the threat to national security, delivered on December 29, 1940—nearly a year before the United States entered the Second World War (1939–1945). Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight NSDAP Germany by selling them military supplies while the United States stayed out of the actual fighting. The president announced that intent a year before the Attack on Pearl Harbor (7 December 1941), at a time when Germany had occupied much of Europe and threatened Britain.

Germany was allied with Fascist Italy and the Empire of Japan (the Axis powers). At the time, Germany and the Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression treaty under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, and had jointly effected the Invasion of Poland (1939), a Realpolitik deal that remained effective until Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1941.

Roosevelt's address was a call to arms for supporting the Allies in Europe, and, to a lesser extent, the Republic of China, in total war against Germany and Imperial Japan. "The great arsenal of democracy" came to specifically refer to the industry of the U.S., as the primary supplier of material for the Allied war effort.

"Arsenal of democracy" refers to the collective efforts of American industry in supporting the Allies, which efforts tended to be concentrated in the established industrial centers of the U.S., such as Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Rochester, Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh, among other cities.