I can imagine it might be in Washington state near where he grew up, but maybe not?
The vegetation definitely looks like Washington to me. My guess is that it was on Route 8 somewhere between Aberdeen and Olympia, but it’s almost certainly been gone for decades now.
Actually it’s been gone for 2,000 years, but it’s comin’ back, baby!
I’m so sorry, I couldn’t resist. 
Cool picture that I have never seen. I love that Mudhoney/Big Muff pedal t-shirt!
I grew up in the area. I vaguely recall a sign like that around Centralia maybe. (For locals, I also know that one right-wing sign with the changeable letters, and am not confusing the two.)
Yeah, it’s definitely not the Uncle Sam billboard, that’s for sure.
When did that photo of them together first show up?
I grew up in that area and I can confirm that it isn’t the infamous Uncle Sam billboard.
Definitely not. I’m pretty sure I saw the sign more than once.
I spent many years in Olympia, and I made a lot more trips east and south than west and north, which is why I’m vaguely inclined to think the sign was in that general direction.
You’re probably concerned that it might be photoshopped- no, it’s an old photo that has appeared in multiple books from decades ago, including Heavier than Heaven et al.
Nope, just trying to get a timeframe for the photo
That was back when Jesus didn’t want him for a sunbeam…
Based on my Google-Fu, the photo was taken by Krist Novoselic, and he apparently wrote of it at one point that Kurt always thought of himself as ugly and said that this was the only photo of himself he’d ever seen where he thought he looked good.
Nothing on where or when it was taken, though.
Anyone wanna track down Krist’s phone number and ask him? I’m sure he’ll dig that you’re only asking on behalf of an internet message board for fans of a defunct newspaper column.
ETA: I also found a color version of it, but I can’t say whether this was the original which was subsequently converted to B&W, or whether a B&W original was colorized.
The color version is also a bunch lightened and contrast enhanced.
I’m no pro, but I’d sooner believe the B&W was the original.
If one started w the color version & simply BW-ized it, the result would be a bunch different and more “legible” so to speak than the BW example in the OP. So anyone crafting that BW version would need to do a bunch of work to make it less-good looking. Which seems counterproductive and hence the more unlikely possibility.
YMMV. Actual fact may vary as well.
FWIW, that’s not a “billboard” in the traditional sense. It’s a semi trailer.
eta: and why “on”? Why not “in”?
It’s a direct quote from the KJV.
Note the cropping changes between the two versions. More off to the left, top and bottom is shown in the B&W and more to the right is shown on the color. Neither can possibly be a full scan of the ur-photo.
Where nothing could possiblie be wrong.
But the original was in Aramaic. So why did KJ choose that? (
I know, just funning)
nothing can be wrong…be wrong…
An proper answer would be difficult. But I do note the original Greek uses ἐπὶ (epi), which is “on,” “above”, “before,” etc. (Consider the prefix epi-). Of those, “on” makes the most sense.
Growing up, I always thought of believing “on” Jesus being a bit different than believing “in” him. It’s hard to describe, but “on” implies more looking on him, rather than just believing “in” him which means the same thing when people say “I believe in you! You can do it!”
But that’s probably silly stuff in my head, given that other, more modern translations use “in.” Prepositions are rarely a one-to-one mapping in other languages.
I do wonder if the preposition for “believe” was different in the KJV days, or if it was just about literal translation.