Not sure whether this belongs in Cafe Society? There are movies that have scenes of parades or political rallies where the marchers hold box-shaped signs on poles or sticks, each of the 4 sides with a different slogan/message. The person can twirl the sign as s/he desires, to display, in turn, each different message to onlookers.
Just the first 2 movies that come to mind, filmed approx. 18 years apart, as an example: The Big Parade and Hail the Conquering Hero.
When and why did such “signage” fall out of favor, and holding aloft a single message, if any, become, at least in the United States, what folks in rallies or parades do?
Much heavier, harder to construct, harder to handle, more expensive, etc., etc.
And do we even know whether they were ever actually used in real life, and weren’t strictly movie props?
They used to be used at political conventions. Had the advantage of being viewable from all directions, though they usually had the candidate’s name on all four sides. But they were generally rare.
Hmmm… sounds like a fun idea to bring back! Just take a PVC pipe and a cardboard box and have at it!