Art & Inspiration Old Signs

What a cool thread!! here is a few of my favorites i snapped in the past....

lakeland fl...my home town

palm springs ca

seattle wa

san leandro ca no longer lights but its still on a pole!!

reno nv

oakland ca

 

This is across the street from Beamans Pontiac in Nashville........

 

Another great Chevy sign.

 

Any Packard fans out there?

 

What a great thread!

Here's a couple, from a Limey tourist.

The Thunderbird Motel is in Reno NV. We stayed there earlier this year. The room had a vibrating bed!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!

The other two are of the crime commited against Harveys, in LA. The place is a mess, part torn down, but you can see what it must have looked like in its day.

You guys have got to look after this stuff. Its your history.

I've got some picture I took in Grants Pass OR a few years back. Some really nice signs were there then. I'll try to find them and post them.


Right in the middle of London is Piccadilly Circus. The place is wall to wall neon, and has been for many years. The only problem is that every single sign is for Japanese, German or American companies. Not quite sure what that proves or means, it just seems a bit strange to me.

 

I took this @ Bonneville...Littleman...Jimmy told me its been their a long time.

 

i don't know why we all like old stuff
but i'm glad we do, guess it's tradition, bringing back childhood memories. until i joined this website, i thought i was the only
person who appreciated this stuff anymore
great thread, those old signs showed another craft that is left behind.
hey, my TV may as well be black and white,
who needs to watch Barney Fife in HI Def

 

WOW YOU ARE TOWN. boy you are big trouble with not letting us know. We could bombed around in the coupe and shown you alot more signs and taken you too some good eats and drinks. How long are you here for?

 

Dont forget Medenhalls!

 

This first sign is from Ventura, CA if I remember correctly. The second is from Buena Park, CA along Beach Blvd. there are a few motels along that stretch with some cool neon. The last is D.A. doing a vintage design on glass.

 

what.how can we pas up the BROILER ?

 

I see that Rex Motel sign if I look out my living room window.

 

If the walls could have talked in that place.

 

Crabbs Tropical Treat (Hanover, Pennsylvania) Opened in 1953. At that time, only ice cream was served. In 1960, they added two runways and car service. They now sell Fat Boy Burgers, French Poodles (deep-fried hot dogs), seafood, chicken, etc. The Treat still has speaker service and car hops.

 

its not neon but its car related! found it at the junkyard! Kootenai is a county around here.

 

I'll try and get a shot in the next few days. Here's a few more.

 

What's also cool about Courtesy Chevrolet, about a year ago they bought a small retail center that was next to their property, tore it down to expand their used car lot. They had a couple of new, smaller signs made just like the one you see here.
Pretty amazing they get away with it in these days of 'Images And Standards' depatments at the top level of the big car companies. Usually telling the dealers they all need the 'Corprate' (boring) signage.

 

I thought they tore down the coral court on rt66?? the auto parts store in portland (north Portland) with the FED was Radke's

 

The Coral Courts were demolished in 1995. The St. Louis Museum of Transportation was able to save two of the building though.

 

lil' buford, I remember that sign all to well. I actually can't believe that the Drive-In is closed now. At least you guys have the one in Lockport. I actually preferred that one anyways yet you can't beat the nostalgia of the Buffalo Drive-In. It has gone the way of the Dinosaur just like many a thing in that City. Hopefully it hold on to as much history as it possibly can. ALSO I noticed that you are an alliance member and only have two posts? That must be some sort of records. Viva La Buffalo!

 

is that in alameda??

 

Hey Atilla, What can you tell me about Clear Frosted Glass. On my Gulf sign one of the letters was broke - the origionals were/are clear glass that is "frosted" on the INSIDE. At the time the guy doing the letter for me knew nothing about THAT particular process. So to try and duplicate it I had the letter repaired without the electrodes - I then got some chemical to etch the inside of the glass duplicating the origional as best as I could figure. Once done I took it back the the guy for finishing - he said he couldn't guarantee that the "frosted" look wouldn't wash out once he went through his process. All in all - it came out pretty good, but not perfect.

Are you familiar with this ??? Be nice to know if I ever needed any more work done on it. I realize this isn't "frosted" in the typical sense of the word when talking neon - but I don't know what else to call it.

Any chance you went to High School on the East Side?? I went to school with a kid also named Atilla.

 

I can't seem to find the magazine that it's in now. Street Rodder took a picture one year of an old faded car sign painted on an old parts store here and then took another picture of it after it had been repainted. It was in their coverage of the NSRA nationals in Pueblo Colorado and I think maybe in their article showing the giveaway car driving from run to run.
I'll keep looking for it, I know I have it somewhere.

 

Here's one in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

 

I'd have to see it. Age may have given an illusion that wasn't intended. Most frosted glass I've seen has been consistent throughout. If not produced properly, the 'outside' may have worn. Sometimes old white glass can end up with that effect.

There were so many wonderful old glass variables that are no longer produced. Among my favorites are pinstripes!

 

WE just had a friend restore this one for our shop.

It hung on the corner of 15th ave and Van Buren, since around 54. the owners made us a great deal on it when they needed it taken down to redo the parking lot.

 

+1

Tell your friend he did a great job! Leaving the original patina intact while changing the neon from a single to double stroke were both wonderful ideas. Doing so highlights this period font very well.

 

Wild32hotrod,

Sadly, the San Jose Courtesy Chevrolet dealership you worked at:
... is no longer ... it gave way to "progress" in the summer of 2001 ... and now is a high-end shopping mall / condos called "Santana Row" ... for the whole story on the sign and relocated dealership, see: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/04.26.01/cover/signs3-0117.html

HEMI32

 

cant remember where I found this on the web, cool though

 

Now that is a collection!