In 1928, Massachusetts had one of the worst fishing seasons the state had ever seen. In that same year, a new license plate design included a fish symbol, which pointed away from the state’s abbreviation, “Mass.” Superstitious residents blamed the fish symbol and after the DMV employee responsible was fired and the design updated with the fish pointing towards the word “Mass,” the fishing industry again saw prosperous years. This is one example of the many license plate stories explored in the new exhibit, License Plates: Unlocking the Code, running Nov. 26, 2013 – March 30, 2014 at the Petersen, the anchor of Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile. Celebrating the centennial of the State of California issuing its own license plates – which began in 1914—the exhibit will feature over 220 plates displayed with numerous plate-related ephemera and memorabilia that reflects culture, values, politics, marketing and superstitions found all over the world.
Kahn Media has assisted with the launch of the exhibit, including creating an exhibit preview video. A full video will be created when the exhibit closes.
