We’ve shared lots of Curtis Perry’s old car shots over the years. But going through his Flickr photostream makes it obvious that he photographs a whole lot more. He’s an inveterate traveler who stops to shoot all kinds of things, including vintage signs. These are a time travel to a time when national chains and their instantly recognizable logos weren’t nearly as predominant, and the majority of roadside businesses were mom and pop operations. And distinctive signage was a key part of reeling in the customers. These were mostly shot in smaller towns in Oregon and neighboring states, about a dozen years ago. Who knows how many are still up?
You know how I became convinced neon signs were beautiful? Because my parents told me they were ugly.
There’s something in human nature to reject the world our parents generation built and embrace the holdovers of the world before, that they pushed aside in our early childhood.
Young people now are embracing Frutiger Aero, the turn of the millennium style of things like the New Beetle and iMac, having been raised by parents who thought of that as dated while updating to colorless minimalism.
Poodle Dog Good Food, I have eaten there a few times over the years and the sign was still in place a couple of months ago, the last time I passed through Fife, WA.
I love sparkle and love my city lights. In the early 1960s Mom’s boyfriend had the perfect “Doris Day” apartment in SF with a view of the bridge. As a child many memories of the Las Vegas lights. Early 1970s, my first adult apt. was a studio high-rise apartment in Miami with views. In the late 1970s my boyfriend had a penthouse in NYC, Sutton Place South. I spent hours on the terrace, drinking Black Russian’s, looking at the city lights. My career moved me to designing casino hotels, lights and sparkle. Now in my old age I find myself in a heavy forested HOA. Beautiful, but I miss the sparkle and city lights.
I used to love the neon signs. Then that old battle axe Lady Bird Johnson decided she didn’t like them, and somehow started a movement to remove most of them. What a shame. Wish we could go back to them.
I didn’t know Lady Bird had anything against neon. I thought she limited herself to campaigning against highway billboards–and I’d love to see that campaign come back into style again.
My “favorite” highway billboards are the State-owned changeable electric signs that warn people to not be distracted while driving, when they’re not promoting some other useless propaganda.
Fontaine’s Restaurant in West Roxbury, Mass. had the best neon sign of a chicken flapping its wing to wave you in to dine. Long since closed I’ve heard that the sign still exists.
As a few years ago, the Poodle Dog restaurant still operated near Tacoma- a city that prides itself on having over 100 neon signs shining through its rainy nights.
The Sapp’s truck stop tower, sans neon, still stands in Denver, the last time I looked.
Now I have an odd desire to go buy some automatic heat, though I don’t now what I would use it for!
When I was a young boy, a special treat was a trip to downtown Vancouver at night. Back then (late ’60s) it was famous for it’s over the top neon signs. Bonus points if it was raining, the lights and reflections were almost other-worldly. Sadly all gone now.
Great shots!
Like many of us I suspect, I just took neon signs for granted. They were there. They usually didn’t work properly – hissed, buzzed, flashed when they shouldn’t, or as we see here, some letters just plain didn’t work – with sometimes amusing results.
Neon signs weren’t the problem whatever any ‘old battle axe’ said. From many of the old streetscapes shown here over the years, it’s clearly the overabundance of signs (often needlessly large) that’s the problem – regardless of whether they’re neon or otherwise.
Peter, I see this one every month which is neon and some bulbs. However, the city is talking about replacing the neon with LED’s for more color variation and expense. Naturally fans of neon signs, and this one goes way back in time, are aghast.
Makes me understand that ‘going to look for America’ thing.
Also, in the biiiigg, open spaces, a neon sign really has its place as a welcome back to civilisation encouragement.
Piccadilly Circus was about as good as it got for us.
We are more afflicted by Gov’t graffiti ruining everything – don’t park here, don’t walk there, cycle here. DO NOT EXCEED 20 MPH, eat your Soylent Greens, go vaxx yourself to death, prole. OK, I made the last two up. A bit…
Being elderly I too greatly miss neon signage .
Thankfully it never went fully away and is making a comeback .
-Nate
Great going! A fine collection of Americana. Thanks so much. Easter Blessings to CC’ers, too!
I know the man that used to own The Alibi
I always like a good neon sign. Of course there’s a retro trend for them, too. The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati is worth a visit if you like them, and signs in general.
I love neon signs, I remember a few in Houston on the SW side that we would go by on the way home from a dinner in town. There was lots of neon on Prince’s Drive In, where we often got burgers. One of the sights coming home on South Main Street was the Big Chief Motel, with a huge Indian head with the plains style feathered war headdress. Many colors and it was beautiful…. James Coney Island had hot dogs and chili, and lots of neon and retro design.
The Poodle Dog restaurant, I wonder if that might’ve been the inspiration for the Bill Carter and the Blame song,”Cocktail Waitress At The Poodle Dog Lounge”. He has lived in Austin, Texas for many years but he’s originally from Washington State.