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Excellent run through the variety and history of Los Angeles street signs at the blog Militant Angeleno: from the classic "shotgun" style at top left, through the "black blade" and "blue blade" eras to the "trapezoid" shape that was in vogue from 1985 until now. The inspiration of his piece was the recent arrival in downtown of a lot more of the new, wider, brighter, aluminum signs that are, apparently, the wave of the future.
The Militant Angeleno likens them to a UFO/Chevrolet logo shape, and says he has come to appreciate them. So far I think they look too much like they belong in Cudahy or Fullerton. They lack the simple and elegant charm that has made the existing signs kind of classic. A certain Los Angeles aesthetic, I guess. Maybe they will grow on me too. They do carry a city identifier on them and thus do make it easier for tourists to know where they are. Hat tip: Curbed LA
All photos: Militant Angeleno