Paint Paste Paper Push, 109-113 West Broadway, New York, 1986
This signs refers to an initiative in the 1950s that urged American citizens to spruce up their properties and buildings. A film entitled "The House in the Middle," was released in 1954, by an organization calling itself The National Clean Up - Paint Up - Fix Up Bureau. The film demonstrated the value of neat and clean in case of nuclear attack. The house in the middle of three survived a nearby nuclear test while the other two, poorly maintained, caught fire and were destroyed. Wikipedia describes the film producers as "a "bureau" invented by the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association trade group (now known as the American Coatings Association). Obviously it was very much in their interests to promote home building and frequent repainting.
Other internet information include "The 1954 version of the film was released in color by the National Clean Up – Paint Up – Fix Up Bureau, which was created by the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association. This version of the film was geared more toward marketing paint than protection against bombs." [https://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/clean-paint]
A box of fixup materials from the Library of Congress
Copyright © 2022 Walter Grutchfield