I’m excited to share this story about my Saratoga Springs search for signs painted by Walter L. “Clem” Clements. Clem was born May 1, 1909 and was a well-known Saratoga sign painter who lived and worked in and around the city through the majority of the 1900s. Clem passed away in 2001 but his signature “Clem” Signs can still be uncovered if you dig deep enough. This is part one of a two-part story about my journey so far.

I can’t recall with certainty when and where I first met Clem, but as a young boy in the '60s I do remember his signature “Clem” Signs, up and down Broadway. There was something about those, “Clem Signs” signatures in the bottom right-hand corner that captured my imagination back then and has stuck with me to this day. They had a simple mystique about them. I’ve always felt in my heart that Clem was a true artist who never found a venue to quench his creative thirst.

Clem was already in his seventies when I first asked him to paint the sides of my Price’s Dairy milk truck. I purchased the milk delivery business from a retiring Victor Price in 1979 and a few years later I acquired a used step van which needed to be lettered. Clem and I agreed on a price of $100 per side—cash only, no contract necessary. Clem lived in an apartment and didn’t drive, so Ron Coleman, a well- known local plumber brought Clem out to my house where he set up shop for the day. Clem used two ladders and a heavy plank to create a mini scaffold. He measured meticulously and laid out the letters in a gentle arch. I found myself fascinated by the detail required to fit everything so perfectly. I recall it being a sunny, spring day. When Clem was well situated I jumped in one of my other milk trucks and left him to work his magic. I remember how pleased I was when I returned at the end of the day and saw the end result. The calligraphic letters brought the milk truck to life. It was now the pride of my aging three truck fleet. Clem painted the sides of my last milk truck around 1987. It may have been his last job too. That was three decades ago, but my curiosity surrounding Clem and his work has kept circling my mind ever since.

When I first posted a cry for help finding “Clem Signs” from my Saratoga Facebook Community I received a tip from artist and Saratogian, Robert Wheaton. Robert told me that the four large A’s on the front doors of the Adelphi Hotel were painted and decorated in gold leaf by Clem.