Finding roadside religion.
#010
The first Harrison Mayes sign I saw was in my home county of Mingo in West Virginia. It read ‘JESUS IS COMING SOON’ and was located near the cemetery in Maher. It was an image and message that burned into my memory. A simple, but clear message and admonition I continue to look for.
I’ve been in Montgomery, Alabama all week for a work conference. On the drive down, I stopped in Steele - on of Alabama’s Appalachian counties - to try to find a corrugated metal Harrison Mayes sign (above). After driving a few minutes in the wrong direction, I turned around and found it across from a beautiful farm situated below a ridge.
The story of Harrison Mayes is one I’ve become fascinated with over the years. After my introduction to his work in Maher, West Virginia, I would later photograph signs in Kentucky, Tennessee, and now, Alabama. Thanks to the incredible work by Marcus Obst’s Folk Visions site, I’ve been able to learn much, much more about Mayes’ work and story.
Obst writes “At the age of 19, Mayes had a serious accident in the coal mines. He was pinned against the wall of the mine by a trolley and suffered injuries so severe that his loved ones were told he would not survive the night. He, on the other hand, prayed and promised the God that he would do everything possible to convert as many people to the Christian faith. And obviously God listened and took young Harrison by his word.”
Mayes wanted the above sign to be erected on the banks of the Suez Canal in 1990. He would go on to place signs in 25 states by the mid-1940’s. Mayes died in 1986.
Have you ever photographed a Harrison Mayes sign? If so, I’d love to see it.
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Thanks for the shout-out. Great post! When I researched Mayes from afar, your photo of the sign in Maher showed up when I typed “Prepare to meet god” into the Google image search. The normal text search didn't bring up anything new, and I grew desperate to find new leads.
So far, the first and only sign I've found was in Conway, Arkansas, but that started my (mild) obsession with Mayes work.
I love Harrison Mayes’ signs. Haven’t photographed one yet, but I’m hoping to get to it once I get back to West Virginia in the coming months.
I do photograph religious signs I find elsewhere, though!
https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelwriston/p/29-turned-around-on-the-road-to-damascus?r=59afd&utm_medium=ios