According to the Professor, one of the Museum of Dubious Authenticity's field acquisition teams discovered this sign during a recent foray to remote regions in the state of Montana. It was found hanging on a barbed wired fence at an abandoned airstrip in a remote area. The team quickly acquired it (it was almost dark, no one was looking) and transported it to the museum. The sign has been dated as late mid-century, most likely the mid-1960s.

At least, that's the Professor's story. Like so many of his stories, we suspect this actually was made in his secret lair and is destined for a private collector. But it is a good story, isn't it?

Here’s what others are saying

The Professor started making carved signs after watching videos by Dave and Eric Rhoten on their YouTube channel, Oldave100. He was pleased as punch when they recently reviewed his new book, Guide to CNC Sign Making. The Professor was genuinely humbled by the comments from two who have been carving signs for over 50 years. You can visit the Rhoten’s at makeawoodsign.com

Well, once again The Professor has been laboring away with quill in hand in his Secret Lair deep in the bowels of the Museum of Dubious Authenticity. His latest missive in completed and available on Amazon. We're hoping that now he can get  back to making more of the things we all enjoy. He's always closed mouth about his projects, so we never know. Here's a link to his new book: https://tinyurl.com/y2sccpxa

The Fortune Teller

The Professor was fortunate to acquire this rare collectable device for his Museum of Dubious Authenticity. It's amazing how intuitive the fortunes are for such an antique device. Was time travel involved? The Professor remains mum on the subject.

The Swamp Journey

The Professor has created another one of his Mechanical Marvels, and as usual, we find it an entertaining example of what takes place in his fertile mind. Some say it’s based on an experience he had in the Louisiana swamps, others believe fermented barley may be involved. In either event, we present it here for your enjoyment.

Young Love

Who doesn’t want to remember the heady days of young love? Some say The Professor was actually young once (although we have no evidence to verify that), and he may have actually used a long-ago romantic memory when he designed this sign to celebrate a recent wedding. Whatever his motivation, we think you’ll agree that it makes a wonderful keepsake for the newly married, or to celebrate an anniversary.  Need the perfect gift? Contact the Professor: signs@profhenry.com

A Pet Project

The Professor is an animal lover, so when his favorite veterinarian opened a new clinic, he knew it needed a quality sign to match the quality of care the vet provides. The sign has a decidedly vintage feel to match the historic part of town where the animal hospital is located and adds an instant “established” feel to the premises. 

You don’t have to be an animal lover to get The Professor to make you a sign … but it helps if you are. Don’t let his demeanor fool you, he’s a sucker for cute fuzzy creatures. signs@jrhgroup.com 

The Professor's a fan

The Professor was “pleased as punch,” whatever that means, when Eric Rhoten from MakeAWoodSign.com gave a shout out about The Professor’s new book, The Newbie’s Guide to CNC Routing. The Professor says that if you’ve ever wanted to make your own sign, Eric’s YouTube channel is the place to start. That’s strong praise from the usually reticent Professor, especially when he added, "Eric will make you a star."

Of course, you know who to call if you don't want to make your own sign. signs@profhenry.com

We wondered what he was doing

The Professor's been quiet in lately, and we speculated about what he was working on in his secret lair. It turns out he's been hidden away writing, and his new book is now available on Amazon. He promises to get back to work soon. You can check his musings here: Amazon

An Old Fashioned Welcome

Giving a warm welcome to visitors makes for happy get-togethers. The Professor wanted this sign to hark back to an earlier time, with colors and a style reminiscent of an old circus poster. The happy dog looks cool with his sunglasses, and lets everyone know they can kick back and be casual. A specialty sign like this, painted, and carved out of weather-impervious material starts at $90 plus shipping. Got an idea for a sign? Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.com

Celebrating Love

Who would have thought The Professor was a romantic at heart? He loves making signs that celebrate the beginning of a new family as they begin their journey through life. This 9” x 22” sign makes a beautiful engagement or wedding gift and is only $52 plus shipping. Got a loving couple in mind? Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.com

Meet the Professor

Here's an intro to The Professor from his YouTube channel. Check out his channel and see what else you can discover. We never know what to expect.

Natural things

The Professor discovered this beekeeper’s honey is so good that it almost tastes like a liqueur or wine. So, The Professor purposely kept this 8" x 20" beekeeper’s sign simple to reflect the nature of his exceptional honey. An overly complicated and painted sign would detract from the organic nature of this natural product. Need a honey of a sign? Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.comsigns@profhenry.com

Amusing things

Here's one of The Professor’s nonsensical and silly things. He saw this coat hook and said it reminded him of an elephant's eyes and trunk, but it needed some ears to complete the illusion. So, he made some ears and a wooden base. Being a smart elephant, this little guy will keep track of keys and things and never forget where they are. Sometimes The Professor sees things we can't in the most mundane objects. We don't know how he does it, but we're glad that he does.

The Woodlot Incident

We don’t know whether or not this automaton is based on a real event observed by The Professor, but we do know it took a lot of work in his secret lair to recreate the event, and one of the characters looks vaguely familiar. He spent many hours figuring out gears and levers and creating the scene to make it work. What’s an “automaton," you ask? Automata are a blend of art and engineering that create moving mechanical devices that replicate life. That’s what they say anyway. All we know is that they are cool and fun to watch, and we really like this one's surprise ending. 

Up spirits

When The Professor learned that a friend’s neighbor produced small-batch handcrafted whisky, he knew it should be celebrated with an appropriate sign. Well-crafted spirits demand a well-crafted sign and this one was made from oak just like the whisky barrels used for aging each mellifluous batch. The design harkens back to a time when elegant craftsmanship was the norm, not the exception. A 12" x 15" sign like this in solid oak is only $150 and can be designed to suit your needs. Good signs — like a good whisky — should be shared with friends. Start sharing by contacting The Professor: signs@profhenry.com 

New sign for old salts

We don’t know if The Professor is really an old salt (we do know he's old, but he tells so many stories), yet he claims to know how to Hand, Reef, and Steer … whatever that means. Sea stories are apparently lies … we mean tall tales … ummm, let’s just say stories … stories sailors tell when they get together over a tipple or two. We do know The Professor can hold his own with the tipplers so perhaps this sign has a history. It’s the perfect gift for that sailor you know, and at only $145 it’s cheaper than most boat accessories. Let The Professor know you want one: signs@profhenry.com

Being Blue isn’t bad

The Professor says being blue doesn’t have to mean being unhappy. In fact the happy hog on this sign is only blue because … well because he’s a Blue Hog. And he’s happy because he's at the Happy Hour Headquarters. The Professor is happy too because he likes animals and especially animals on signs. Want to be happy? Contact The Professor. He’ll make a sign that will bring such a smile to your face that people will wonder what you’ve been up to. signs@profhenry.com

The Professor loves pubs

The Professor does like his grog and we think a late night with his favorite tipple led The Professor to begin designing his new Pub Sign series. 

The Pirate's Lair is the first in the series and this high quality, carved pub sign would look great in your den, man cave, or outdoor entertainment area. The carved background texture and antique glazing adds a distinctive old world wood look and the pub name letters are all raised and hand painted while the owner’s name is deeply carved into the banner. Naturally all the designs are custom carved with your choice of name and date. 

This amazing inch and quarter thick sign measures 16” x 22” and is $295 with the personalization of your choice. Want to impress your friends with your own pub sign? Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.com

Bear with us

The Professor’s fondness for furry animals both large and small shows in this whimsical welcoming sign. It is perfect for your front gate or near to your door. Plus, since it is unbearably cute, it would be great for any kid’s room. This 7” x 11” sign is carved out of one and a half inch thick western red cedar and finished with several coats of clear varnish. It will survive well in the outdoor elements just like a real bear and bring you enjoyment for a long time. And, of course, it will be custom made with the name of your choice. It is complete with a keyhole bracket on the back for hanging. Only $85 plus shipping. Want one? Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.com

A sign for the great outdoors

The Professor appreciates craftsmanship and when he met this company who specializes in exceptional outdoor structures made from red cedar he knew they needed a sign out of the same material.

Cedar is an excellent sign material for outdoor use and will withstand exposure to the elements for many years with little maintenance. Plus, as you can see, it gives a great traditional look to a carved sign.

Thinking about a sign for your business or home? The Professor would love to hear from you: signs@profhenry.comsigns@profhenry.com

A rare museum piece

The Professor claims he found this vintage museum item in a small curio shop on one of his travels to exotic locales. The story is that this is a very rare, early model Louisiana chainsaw manufactured in Acme's New Orleans factory. 

He says it is a late 1930s or early 1940s model called The Cajun Special and for some reason this model never caught on. Perhaps, he says, it was due to the very small amount of fuel it held or the fact that the required fuel was a special "Elixir" only available from the Leveau family. The Professor reminds us that the Leveau company founder, Marie, was known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans which may have contributed to slowed sales as the fuel product was considered dangerous on both the physical and metaphysical levels. The saw was commonly used as an unpowered hand tool due to wariness about the fuel. 

The Professor said he scoured the New Orleans French Quarter in a effort to locate fuel (and sampled several that were quite refreshing) but could not locate anything that would work in the saw. And so, sadly, he has been unable to use the restored saw due to lack of fuel and also because he thinks the chain may need sharpening. 

(The Professor does love his little stories. We know he made this in his workshop and the “metal” frame is really wood painted to look like rusted metal and the rest is just old parts he had laying around the workshop. When The Professor is not Carving Signs or making Mechanical Marvels, he spends time making Nonsensical and Silly Things. That's why he's so much fun to be around.)

Make your visitors feel welcome

The Professor may be a little reclusive but when he does have visitors he likes to make them feel at home. Here’s one of his recent signs that would look good at your home too. The sign measures 22” x 11” and is made from 1.25” pine finished with a weather resistant polyurethane outdoor varnish for long use. Want something special to welcome your guests? Contact The Professor: signs@jrhgroup.com

Help them find you ... in Style

This is one of The Professor's standard address signs. It will be personalized with your family's name and house number. Available in many colors, this 10" x 17" sign will enhance your home's curb appeal and help people find you. Only $45 plus shipping. Be the envy of your neighbors. Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.com

Dog opinions

It seems the dog took offense at the previous post and demanded equal time so The Professor used his suggestions for these two signs. As a disclaimer, The Professor says these signs do not necessarily reflect the views of the management (but we all know they do.) 

Do your four-legged family members need a sign like this? Contact The Professor: signs@profhenry.com