Tavern Signs

Tavern owners used colorful signs to advertise their business to passers-by. The images on the signs served several purposes. The sign might be promoting the good food and drink to be found within, or might be suggesting the pleasant entertainment or comfortable bed that travelers could hope to find. Horses were often pictured on signs, to indicate that they would be well taken care of.

Some signs give a clue about the customers who might be attracted to a certain tavern, or about the political beliefs of the tavern keeper. This would help people decide if they wanted to go into a certain tavern – or not!