19th century “Pressed Hay” trade sign, ca. 1850, most likely from a farmstead that sold hay in pressed bales.  In the mid-1800s, the first mechanical hay press was invented.  The benefit to pressed hay versus baled hay was that pressed hay took up less space and could be easily transported.   Most of the earliest hay presses were stationary units built into a barn, extending into the hayloft. Generally, a team of horses was used to raise a press weight, which was then dropped to compress the hay. Other versions used a horse- or mule-power at the bottom of the press to turn a jackscrew or a geared press.

 

Housed in an early black painted frame, the painted words “Pressed Hay” appear to be in relief, when actually their raised surface is a result of “preferential weathering”.  "Preferential weathering" on early wood signs refers to the uneven wearing of the sign's surface, where the areas with paint weather at a different rate than the bare wood.  This occurs because the paint protects the wood from the elements, while the exposed wood due to sun, rain, and other environmental factors, results in the painted letters standing out against the weathered background. 

 

This folk art trade sign is a genuine artifact from the first period of the Industrial Revolution, that marked the transition from hand production to machine production.  Dimensions:  44” x 13”.