Geograph - photograph every grid square

When it comes to road signs, simple is best. They are something we take for granted. Indeed, they date back to the Roman Empire. The Via Appia, begun in 312 BC had milestones placed at regular intervals. One of the earliest organized signing systems was developed by the Italian Touring Club in the 1890’s. In 1909, nine European governments chose four pictorial symbol signs to be used as a standard in those countries. In the UK, graphic designers Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert created new signs based on a system whereby circular signs commanded triangular signs warned and rectangles informed. Today signs are retro-reflective: they are composed of special plastics that contain millions of small prismatic beads.

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