Printed on galvanized steel, these signs were printed solid matte black and then overlayed with a reflective paint and issued around the country as part of a domestic defense initiative during the Cold War. Such signs would have been accompanied by a variety of directional arrow stickers that were meant to be applied to direct people to safety during a hypothetical nuclear scenario.

The official government text accompanied the unveiling of this new symbol and sign in 1961:

SC 587821 Washington D.C.

The National Fallout Shelter Sign will be a familiar sight in communities all over the United States next year. It will mark buildings and other facilities as areas where 50 or more persons can be sheltered from radioactive fallout resulting from a nuclear attack. The sign will be used only to mark Federally-approved buildings surveyed by architect-engineer firms under contract to the Department of Defense. The color combination, yellow and black, is considered as the most easily identified attention getter by psychologists in the graphic arts industry. The sign can be seen and recognized at distances up to 200 feet.

SKU: 21V20845