A classic Owl Cigar advertising sign dominates a block of Socorro, a small city in central New Mexico. The name, which translates in English as "help" or "aid," references a visit to the nearby desert by Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate and a group of Spanish settler, who were given food and water by resident Indians. The sign was one of several painted by the cigar company on buildings, beginning around 1880, by a crew of two,called “wall dogs,” who were paid $5 to $10 per sign. Photo by Carol Highsmith.