View allAll Photos Tagged SignGeeks,
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
one more abandoned gas station on the road to las vegas. nikon D7000 + nikkor 10-24mm. 4 minute exposure under almost full moon. light painting with LED flashlight and steel blue gel.
On US 17 (Princess Street)
Fredericksburg, VA
From their website:
"In 1947, Carl Sponseller bought a property and created Carl's Frozen Custard. A couple of years later he made the world famous sign, and now the building is part of Virginia Historical Society, and registered as a Virginia Historic Landmark."
I've shot Carl's several times, but this was the first time at night, on a snowy March evening as we were making our way north back home.
Winter Haven, FL
Andy's Drive-In opened back in 1951. Unfortunately, we have yet to eat there -- it's on our list though! -- but we have enjoyed their sign.
Standing in the empty parking lot beside Donahoo's on a Saturday morning, before they were even open, all I could smell as I took several photos of their towering sign was fried chicken.....that greasy, spicy odour that causes instant hunger.
Pomona, CA
Bradford, PA
Terrific old Firestone ghost sign -- a big one! It's a little weathered and faded though, makes it hard to make out all the words.
Route/US 17
Myrtle Beach, SC
This large, dramatic sign, with the big yellow arrow (missing its bulbs) and a neon firecracker, was one I had to stop and shoot, despite the weather being miserable. Unfortunately, info online indicates this location has permanently closed.
Boston, MA
Opened in 1930, and still family owned and operated (the original family, I mean), serving generations of Bostonians. We didn't have time to stop and eat at this Italian cafe but I sure wish we had been able to -- it looked like my kind of place. Traditional Italian pastries? Yes please.
US/Route 1
Ellsworth, Maine
I love how, instead of a "no vacancy" sign, there is a "full" neon sign instead.
Bradford, PA
Wonderful old Coca-Cola ghost sign -- I sure wish I'd had a ladder though! Or, be a lot taller lol
I found mention of Neely's Drug Store online in a 1910 publication, Modern Pharmacy. According to what I read, Mr. Neely had great success selling Lactone Buttermilk at the soda fountain in his store.
Route 66
Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA
Pier Burger has a great sign and a wonderfully vibrant red exterior. Unfortunately we didn't get to try their burgers.
a late night freight train rumbles by the turn-off to the source of everlasting life and convenient RV hookups. seen somewhere along the eastern shore of the california's salton sea.
nikon D7000 + nikkor 10-24mm. 2min exposure under full moon, 10x 2 minute exposures stacked for star trails.
Route/US 1
Baileyville, Maine
Boy, did I have a time trying to figure out both the actual name of this motel, and where we were when I photographed it!
At the time, I took a picture of the front sign so I would know the motel's name. Good enough, right? Nope! Even though I have a photograph of the sign indicating this was "Bass's Motel", I could find nothing on the internet about it. Nada. I ended up pinpointing where a previous photo was taken, then brought up google streetview and went along US 1 until I FINALLY found this motel, which gave me the name of the town. One problem solved. Clicking on a date in google streetview several years ago, a view popped up with a motel sign that read "Boidi Motel". Aha! I googled that, and up popped some (old) information. That doesn't help me know what the motel is called right now of course, but I know it was Boidi and then became Bass's. Maybe not for very long lol
Melbourne, FL
I do like grungy and rusty signs, and this one sure fits that category. The broken neon martini glass is particularly charming to me.
The bar has been closed for several years, but the sign still hangs on.
Hamilton, Ontario
These wonderful historic ghost signs were revealed when the building that once was in the empty lot was torn down -- but sadly, they're history now in a whole different way. This building was demolished sometime in 2018 for, you guessed it, condos.
the abandoned motor-vu drive-in theater - opened 1952, closed 2014. mamiya 6MF 75mm f/3.5 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
Auburn, NY
We had a lovely lunch here, back in October 2016, when I took this picture of it (and the ghost sign too!). We ate, not knowing a thing about this diner's history. But now I know.
I just learned the following about this 1950's O'Mahony-built diner:
"The diner was founded in the early 1950's by Bob Hunter. His daughter, Neilia, married a young SU grad student in 1965 who would ultimately become a Senator and then Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden.
In 1972, Neilia and their small children were returning home from Christmas shopping when their car was hit by a tractor trailer. Neilia and their 18 month old daughter, Naomi (Amy), were killed; their two sons, Joseph (Beau) and Robert (Hunter) were seriously injured. All of this happened just after Joe was elected to the US Senate for the first time."
www.democraticunderground.com/10025959932
I knew about the tragedy of course, but I had no idea this diner was originally owned and operated by (now) President Biden's first father-in-law. Quite a lot of American presidential history in that!
Oh, in case you were wondering .....dinerant is a term coined from "diner" and "restaurant".
North Providence, RI
After being in business for almost 100 years, Rhode Island's Christiansen's Dairy closed for good in 2019. I'm so thankful I was able to photograph it the year before it closed.
The building was built in 1920, on nearly a half-acre of land. Right up until their closure in 2019, they continued the old-fashioned service of home delivery, bringing milk and other dairy products right to the front doors of their loyal customers.
And they did those deliveries in old-fashioned trucks, too. From the Valley Breeze web site: "The Christiansen family brand that started when deliveries were made by horse and wagon today uses old-school Divco-style trucks that deliver milk and a variety of other products, such as its famous eggnog and chocolate milk, to doorsteps. Those trucks were already attracting a lot of attention from potential buyers, according to social media posts this week."
And yes, I have a photograph of those trucks to share too. Stay tuned.
The Original Peppers
Route 66
Arcadia, CA
The Original Peppers, a neighbourhood mexican restaurant that opened in the 1960s on Route 66, has permanently closed. Looking online, the closure looks recent and while some reviewers lamented the change of ownership a few years ago, the restaurant seems to have had many loyal customers.
We never ate there, so I can't comment personally on the food, but man -- that pepper-shaped sign! Speared on a fork too! It's a beauty. I hope it doesn't get destroyed.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
Everett, PA
Located on US 30, the Lincoln Highway, this old motel is still standing and operational -- at least, it was when we stopped for lunch. The sign is on the corner, perched over the sidewalk atop Marteen's Family Restaurant, where we had a terrific meal. The motel units are behind the restaurant.
It's a fabulous sign, with "motel" in neon down the side and that cool "sorry" attachment.
Sanford, NC
We came across this wonderful historic building as we explored the downtown streets of Sanford. If you look close, you'll see it's full of coca-cola bottles. There are the three above the three smaller windows, but if you look up just below the roof, you'll see the long row of smaller bottles.
Here's some information I found at the Downtown Sanford web site:
"The adjacent structure (this building) has a blond brick façade and molded terra cotta surrounds framing the windows and doors. Above the second floor windows are terra cotta panels with stepped sides, three containing Coca-Cola bottles in relief and the larger fourth one containing the Coca-Cola logo. The cornice features molded terra cotta with sawtooth openings framing tiny Coco-Cola bottles. These terra cotta geometric designs are beige, brown, green, and yellow, reflecting the building trends of the 1920s."
abandoned truck stop & diner along interstate 15 in california's mojave desert. mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
Beverly, MA
I was delighted to find this marvellous old sign, which dates back to the 1950s, in the Boston suburb of Beverly.
On Colorado Blvd (Route 66)
Pasadena, CA
Each letter is in its own neon arrow. Love it! Sadly, though, the surplus store (C&H Surplus, thanks to the info from Mark Wyatt, below in the comments) is long gone, but at least the sign, which dates back to the 1950s, remains.
On US 1,
Stockton Springs, Maine
The front of the sign looks like it's had a paint job, but the sides sure don't!
Route/US 41
Sarasota, FL
I wish I could have dined at this restaurant during its heyday. It opened back in the 1950s but has unfortunately been closed for several years now. I love the neon sign with the "O" turned into a note of music. So sad that it just sits there, empty, and nobody has wanted to revive it.
i was saddened to see on the news that the summit inn, a landmark route 66 diner in california's cajon pass, burned august 17, 2016 in the "blue cut" wildfire.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
Hendersonville, NC
I love the neon mortar and pestle, although it's a shame it's been enclosed in plexiglass -- but I'm guessing that's for preservation purposes.
There's a fascinating history behind this location. Here's just a snippet from Mike's On Main website, the current occupant of the premises:
"The building was built in 1900. It was built and operated as a pharmacy by Dr. William Hicks Justus until 1957 when it was sold to Dr. Albert Beck and his brother Bill Beck. Justus Pharmacy installed and operated the first soda fountain in Hendersonville, and it still operates as the only soda fountain in Hendersonville."
To read more, check out www.mikesonmain.com/about