Freddie Fields’ historic 1841 home in Columbus boasts a line of period decor inside, but not in the way one might necessarily expect. Step inside the foyer, and this confirmed collector’s fascination with vintage signage is readily apparent. There, in a towering image that predates poodle skirts and hula hoops, the iconic Coca-Cola Sprite Boy urges onlookers to “Serve Coke at Home.” Funny, Sprite doesn’t look almost 70, but this collectible sign is dated 1947.

The stroll through yesteryear continues down the central hall and in almost every room, a parade of nostalgic brands and images and the signs that sold them to the public. Fields and his son, Dr. John Fields, have been amassing this collection for decades.

Most of the “big boys” are out back, in a courtyard behind the home — oil company signs touting American, Gulf, Standard Oil, Southland, Lion, DX, Phillips 66 and more. Nearby, vintage soda signs for Royal Crown Cola, Pepsi, Barq’s, Nichol Kola and Orange Crush “in the krinkly bottle” vie for attention.

“Anything with a history to it, that’s what I like most,” said Freddie Fields about the collecting bug. “I like to know the story behind it.”

He pointed out what may well be the oldest existing wooden sign from Columbus’ past. It once hung above The Steen Co. Friedman-Shelby All Leather Shoes at 420 Main St. Bettye Brown of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library Local History Room was able to locate the shop listed in Columbus telephone directories from 1925 to 1931. The building is now home to an attorney’s office.

“The Steen Co.” sign hangs near a mock storefront reminiscent of The Country Store Freddie once operated in west Lowndes County, a gathering place where a young John swept up and pumped gas when he was a boy.

“Twenty-five cents an hour, baby,” John laughed, recalling Saturdays and summers helping his mom and dad at the store. He remembers the Coca-Cola and other brand signs at the family business, too. They may have planted the spark that would ignite later, fanned by an interest in antiques encouraged by his mother.

“I love it,” John said plainly. “I’ve always loved history. I have always been the hoarder.”

Power of the past

Affinity for artifacts can often be traced to their power to take us back.

“Everybody can pick out a sign you remember seeing on a building as a kid somewhere when you were with your dad getting ice cream on a Saturday, or walking into a store to get a drink,” said John.

As an example, the vibrant orange, blue and white of a Gulf sign in his father’s courtyard brings back vivid childhood memories of a trip to Disney World. Gulf was running a promotion, offering Disney-related toys and items to customers.

“We were always looking for a Gulf sign on that trip,” John said.

The Fields’ mutual passion is not limited to signage. Vintage gas pumps in the courtyard include a “visible” cylinder Cities Service pump, like those in use from approximately 1915 to around 1930, according to automobiledrivingmuseum.org. On the storefront porch, an old scoreboard that once counted down athletic contests at Macon High School is a conversation starter.

“It will light up and everything,” said Freddie, plugging it up to demonstrate.

On the hunt

What motivates collectors? Part of the attraction is the hunt, and John is a relentless hunter.

Part of it is discovering touchstones, sometimes in unlikely places — under a house, on an overgrown lot, in abandoned buildings. The American (Oil) sign in the center of Freddie’s courtyard was spotted by John on the side of the road while traveling to Jackson, Tennessee. After tracking down the lot’s owner, John was able to bring it to Columbus — with the help of considerable equipment and manpower. It was transported in one piece.

Swap meets and auctions across the country are hotbed sources of memorabilia. You can find anything you want, given the time and money, said John, who usually prefers to hunt on his own.

Buyers do have to be savvy. Reproductions are fairly easy to produce, Freddie cautioned.

“You’ve just got to watch what you buy. If you’ve looked at enough of them, you know … ” he said. There are experts to call in when necessary.

Is there one sign the Fields would never give up? That would probably be the “Bear Bryant sign,” John said. A relatively small one in Freddie’s home, it shows Coach Bryant’s likeness alongside a Coke and Golden Flake Potato Chips — “A great pair says ‘The Bear’.”

The legendary coach used to come in The Country Store; he also appeared on The Golden Flake Show.

“I remember watching as a kid,” John reminisced. “He’d eat a few chips and drink a Coke and talk about players like Johnny Musso. … A sign with historical or family memories, it’s hard to let it go.”

What’s in a sign? The preservation of history, the Fields agree.

“Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” said John. “It’s true Americana at its finest.”

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.