A towering sign shaped like an ornate picture frame once marked the home of Taylor Picture Frames at 13401 Sherman Way. This colorful advertising postcard preserves the North Hollywood business as it appeared during an earlier era of Sherman Way’s commercial history.
Taylor Picture Frames advertised original art, artist supplies, and an extensive assortment of decorative frames. The business also promoted itself on the postcard as the “World’s Largest Importers” of picture frames.
Former business: Taylor Picture Frames / Taylor Frame Company
Address: 13401 Sherman Way
Location listed on postcard: North Hollywood, California 91605
Current business shown: Stone Mart
A Roadside Sign Designed to Be Remembered
The most memorable feature of the property was its enormous freestanding sign. Rather than using an ordinary rectangular panel, Taylor Picture Frames placed its name inside what appeared to be a giant gilded frame supported high above the parking lot.
The storefront carried the same theme. A dark awning displayed the words “Original Art,” “Picture Frames,” and “Artist Supplies,” while the lower portion of the postcard showed examples of the elaborate frames available from the company.
Vintage automobiles parked in front of the building add another layer of period detail, including a red compact coupe positioned directly beneath the oversized sign.
The Postcard Was Also an Order Notice
The reverse side reveals that this was more than a promotional postcard. Taylor Frame Company used it to acknowledge customer orders and provide an estimated shipment date.
Blank spaces allowed employees to enter the date an order was received and when the company expected to ship it. This practical use makes the card an especially interesting piece of local business history.
Taylor Picture Frames Today
Taylor Picture Frames is gone, but the commercial building remains. The property is now occupied by Stone Mart, a supplier of stone, slabs, and tile.
The storefront has been remodeled and the original brown awning has disappeared. However, the tall roadside sign structure remains one of the clearest connections between the vintage postcard and the present-day view. The ornate Taylor frame has been replaced by a modern Stone Mart sign, but the familiar supports are still visible.
Comparisons like this demonstrate how an ordinary commercial property can retain traces of its earlier identity even after the original business, signs, and surrounding streetscape have changed.
Vintage postcards often preserve details that would otherwise disappear: storefront lettering, roadside signs, automobiles, telephone numbers, and the independent businesses that once lined the San Fernando Valley’s major streets. Taylor Picture Frames is another example of a once-familiar local landmark surviving through a single printed image.
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