View allAll Photos Tagged SignGeeks,
Route/US 19
somewhere south of Meadville, PA
I was charmed by the offset printing on this old barn. I've seen lots of "mail pouch" barns in Pennsylvania, but this was the first printed like this one.
Columbus, OH
In 1954, Reuben Cohen, an ex-boxer, opened Rubino's Pizzeria in the Bexley neighbourhood of Columbus. A newspaper article, shared online at Rubino's web site, states that Cohen "switched his first name a little" to come up with the restaurant's name. They specialized (then and now) in thin crust pizza and spaghetti, which customers could "eat here in our beautiful, Spic and Span dining room -- Or to carry home".
Another restaurant where I shot and enjoyed the sign but didn't have the opportunity to enjoy a meal. Next time.
in all seriousness, it was fine, if a bit dated and worn. extra credit: spot the speed trap on the far left, 25mph limit in small towns throughout nevada.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger
Bradford, PA
In my Pennsylvania album, you'll find a close-up of the old, rusty Hotel Holley sign. This shot gives you a great view of the entire street scene.
I found some interesting information online about the history of this old hotel (built at the turn of the century). The following text (complete with typos lol), which I found at the Smethport History web site, is from the "Historical Bradford Illustrated 1901":
"This superb hotel, recently completed, is the finest in western New York and Pennsylvania. It is strictly fire proof in every sense of the word, the only wood used in the entire building being the doors, door casings and windows.
The hotel Holley occupies a ground space of 100x130 feet and has 90 rooms, 50 of which have baths connnected. The plumbing is all exposed and nickel plated, the closets and lavatories being wainscoted with Italian marble. The furnishings throughout the house are of the very best. Biglow axminster and body brussell carpets being used entirely. The bedsteads are the latest procurable, being of brass and having a covered box spring with hair mattresses.
Special mention is made of the kiktchen which, besides having all the modern appliances necessary for cooking cappetizing food, is entirely covered with white tile. There is a finely appointed billard hall, reading room, barber shop and bar.
The Hotel Holley was built by E. N. Unrub, but it has been under the personal supervision of Mr. F. P. Holley, who has watched every part completed adn his whole thought has been to construct a building that would make a comfortable, safe and luxurious home for his guests and to say that he has succeeded nobly hardly covers it. Mr. Holley was born at Monticello, N.Y., coming to Bradford in 1885 and has resided here ever since.
He was proprietor of the late Riddell house for fifteen years, his patronage increasing to such an extent that larger quarters were necessary so the Riddell was torn down and the present hotel Holley was erected on the same site. Mr. Holley is very popular and the universal wish is that his successful career will continue."
Richmond, VA
Friedman's was closed by its owner back in 2016, after being in business since the 1930s. After checking online, I learned the earliest business licence John Goodman, the owner, could find when he researched the history of the business dated back to 1933, when Ben and Max Friedman opened the pawn shop. Almost a decade later the business was sold into the Goodman family.
I'm pretty sure this ABC Liquor sign, with the revolving alphabet cubes, is pretty old. Seen in Cocoa, Florida.
Sudbury, ON
Sadly, this sign is gone. Oh, the motel still stands on Lorne Street, but this great old neon is history and a new (boring) sign now states that the motel is the Imperial Fireside Inn.
shot in 1996, marquee of the abandoned edwards drive-in theater in arcadia, ca. built 1948, demolished late 1990s. now residential housing.
scans from the archives. nikon 8008s + nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5, kodak gold 400. scan: nikon coolscan 5000. EXIF tags: lenstagger.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
Azusa, CA
I love the tall, skinny palm trees in southern California. This photo just screams SOCAL to me lol
A to Z Liquor opened in 1962 -- good to see they're still going strong.
Tampa, FL
The sun was setting and the night was rising when we ventured into downtown Tampa after a day spent photographing mostly motels in the Tampa and St Pete's area. And, we found this. The Roadside Architecture site advises this bus station was built around 1961, and this is the original sign. It's a beauty.
Vancouver, BC
I don't live here anymore, but this is my hometown. Vancouver's downtown area now known as the Downtown Eastside, dominated by Hastings Street, has vastly changed since my youth. Back then, it was a vibrant, bustling part of the city. In recent times the area has significantly changed and is no longer vibrant at all. It's quite sad.
The Hotel Balmoral was once a jewel of downtown Vancouver. It opened for business back in 1912 as a high-end hotel. Canada's Historic Places web site has this to say about the hotel's beginning: "Built in 1911-1912 at the peak of prosperity, the Balmoral Hotel is representative of the city's entrepreneurial optimism for the future. Vancouver had by that time become firmly established as the financial distribution, shopping and manufacturing centre of British Columbia.
In a September 1912 announcement of the official opening of the Balmoral Hotel, the journal Architect, Builder, and Engineer notes that construction of this first-class hotel 'will relieve some of the former congestion in hotel circles of the day'. This type of high-class establishment would have accommodated commercial businessmen and wealthy travellers to the area, rather than the seasonal workers who lived in less elaborate hotels and lodgings."
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. In 2020, the city of Vancouver reached a deal with the owners (who had been renting rooms to the local vulnerable folks) to expropriate the now-derelict hotel and it is to be turned into safe and secure low-income public housing.
And of course, I'm all about that wonderful old neon sign. It was designed by Neon Products in the 1940s. The entire downtown area was once dominated by large, dramatic neon signs and this old relic is a visual reminder of the former neon glory that was found on the streets of Vancouver.
a spring snowstorm blankets a gas station advertised as being in the "middle of nowhere" along I-84 in southern idaho.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
Tower Records, on Sunset
West Hollywood, CA
I enjoyed the documentary, All Things Must Pass. If you haven't watched it, I recommend giving it a look -- it's a fascinating look at the rise and fall of Tower Records.
mamiya 6MF 75mm f/3.5 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
following up yesterday's post, here is the classic roadside sign marking the former location of the wagon wheel motel and restaurant which stood at the intersection of highway 101 and PCH.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160NC. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
La Verne, CA
The sign says "Lopez" but this Los Angeles liquor store is now called Fairplex Liquor. Their old rooftop scaffold sign is a rusty, crusty delight.
the only thing higher than the gas prices was the temperature. mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
This was a tricky one to shoot -- glaring late-afternoon sunshine and to boot, it's huge! If you're in the area, it's a definite must-see.
St. Petersburg, FL
Photographed in the Montreal suburb of Longueuil, Quebec
Opened in 1952, this garage is still going strong. I love their regal version of a "muffler man".
Petersburg, VA
For a few years, when exiting off I-95 to go into Petersburg, VA, the first sight you would see was this abandoned restaurant and motel, still standing but in bad shape. Finally, last year, in January 2020, we noticed that it had finally been completely torn down.
It's a shame it couldn't have been renovated and re-opened. It featured this very cool round restaurant and a large motel area as well. Back in the day, I bet it was a swell place. When we drove around it in 2017 (when this picture was taken), it was just so sad......boarded-up, with broken glass scattered all over the parking lot near the motel rooms. The gloomy day only added to the depressing scene.
Glens Falls, NY
Massie's is a restaurant in Glens Falls, a small city in upstate New York; it's been in business, according to their web site, since 1929. Across the street is a small parking lot for their customers -- this is the sign there.
From their site:
"Massie’s was established in 1929 by Ralph “Massie” Russo, and run by Massie and his wife Dorothy “Dot” Russo until they turned it over to their three sons, Ralph Jr., Bobby and Pat in the 1980s. Bobby had worked in the kitchen his whole life, and ran Massie’s until his death in 2012.
At that time Pat, who had run his own successful restaurant (Pat’s Dugout) in South Glens Falls for many years, was pressed back into service. Pat put the long owned family restaurant on the market and sold to a young, resourceful chef in 2016."
on the carnival midway at the 71st annual carrot festival in california's imperial valley. mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 400. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
Los Angeles (Inglewood), CA
This stunning building was formerly a movie theatre, but has been a church for decades now.
From the Cinema Treasures web site:
"Opened on November 7, 1939 and designed by architect S. Charles Lee, the Academy Theater, a classic Art Moderne style structure, was originally designed to house the Academy Awards.
Sadly, however, the Academy Theater never did host the ‘Oscars’, but it was often the location of film premieres and served as a major suburban theater for the Fox West Coast Theatres chain.
The Academy Theater continued to show movies until 1976, when it became a church."
An old, broken-down and closed truck stop
Route/US 301
King George, VA
One of my favourite Gordon Lightfoot songs ...
In the early morning rain with a dollar in my hand
With an aching in my heart and my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home, Lord, I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain with no place to go
Inglewood, CA
Just one of those times when you have a look and the whole photo just appears before your eyes and you have to click fast to get the shot. We were near LAX, leaving Randy's Donuts, and I looked out the window and there it was.
Pasadena, CA
One of the most glorious rusty gems I've found, this Reddy Kilowatt neon sign sits on the roof of Talbott Electric, still in business almost a hundred years after it opened. From their web site: "The company was established in 1924. It is a third-generation family run company owned and operated by Kirk Talbott."
Commerce, CA
That's one nifty looking vehicle parked beside this old dive bar -- I wish I knew what it was. I think it's a Ford? Anyone have any insight?
And that old scaffold sign above the bar fascinates me too. I wonder why they've chosen a transport truck as the artwork on the sign. I don't know much about the LA area known as Commerce, so maybe the design is appropriate to the community?