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Signs on U.S. 41, Kenosha County, Wisconsin (Cheese)

John Vachon
  • $85.00

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

Add Custom Frame

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

Add Custom Frame

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

Add Custom Frame

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

Add Custom Frame

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

Add Custom Frame

SHIPPING FOR FRAMES ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN U.S.

Shot in 1941, this declarative dairy delight was part of Vachon’s extensive photographic exploration of the great midwest during his time with the Farm Security Administration. We’ve been geeking out for years on work that came out of the FSA—see Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, and Walker Evans, just to name a new). 

With American highway culture still in its early days, farmers were among the first to utilize roadside advertising in a variety of ways. Vachon captured the essence of agricultural life in the midwest through thousands of images—his portrayal of road signs in particular was a precursor to the renowned work of legendary roadtripping photographer John Margolies.

This road sign appeared on U.S. 41 near Kenosha, Wisconsin—the cheesiest state of all. If you’ve been to that part of the country, you’ll know that cheesy signs about cheese pop up almost immediately after crossing the state line. One of our team members used to live in Chicago and play music with people in Milwaukee and Racine in the early aughts, so she’d regularly drive north into cheese country. After miles and miles of midwestern monotony, seeing a cheese beacon like this one glowing in the sky would unfailingly get her to pull over. She’d arrive at a practice or recording session with a bag full of half-wheels and curds, and although cheese is among the last things you’d want to eat before singing, it did wonders for morale.


The ephemeral pieces of history captured in Vachon’s photographs are unique snapshots of American life and sensationally silly statements on America’s favorite snack. So buckle up! We’re makin’ a pitstop!

+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

Innova Exhibition Photo Baryta


8"x10" | Edition of 10


11"x14" | Edition of 200


16"x20" | Edition of 25


20"x24" | Edition of 10


30"x40" | Edition of 5

Artist - John Vachon

John Vachon

John Vachon (1914-1975), was an American photographer most known for his work with the Farm Security Administration. His interest in photography started when he worked as a file clerk at the FSA, and grew as he was mentored by Roy Stryker, who launched the FSA photography program, and legendary photographers Walker Evans and Arthur Rothstein. Throughout his career and through thousands of images, Vachon captured the essence of agricultural life in the midwest.

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