Folk Art Long Beach Shield - A Cowboy Riding a Flying Fish - 1930s P2670

In chivalric heraldry one might call this a device: it announces allegiance, asserts identity and status. Here this sign wittily asserts affection for one's home town, in this case the delightful city of Long Beach. And there is more than a little truth in the image, the classic American cowboy running suddenly smack into the Pacific Ocean, and adapting it to his understanding. Therein lies a clue to the often peculiar mystery of the California character. Measures 26 3/4" x 26 1/4" x 1/4".