View allAll Photos Tagged Signgeeks
jerry's liquor, since demolished to make way for fancy condos.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
Route/US 17
DeLand, FL
There's a lot going on here.....a dead, stuffed alligator wearing a hard hat, trying to sell you alligator meat, a taxidermy service, even a gift shop. And I guess the taxidermist was also a butcher? We'll never know, as this classic old-Florida site is now closed.
US 601
Yadkinville, NC
After some internet searching, I figured out that the lettering was painted/stencilled on top of an old Crown gas station sign. I think this is the first Crown gas station sign I've come across in my travels.
Those old signs featured a star, which you can just see peeking out above the A in GAS. This sign likely goes back to the 1950s or 60s; the logo for the 70s had the star inside the O.
Yadkin Food Mart is closed -- permanently, according to Google.
For some historical info:
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4. kodak portra 400VC pushed +2 stops. lab: A&I color, hollywood, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
I've wanted to see this sign up-close-and-personal and I finally have! It didn't disappoint; it's a gem.
This one was shot with my phone, using Hipstamatic.
St. Petersburg, FL
South Hill, VA,
on US 1
Harper's Jewelry was founded by Mr. C. Hill Harper back in 1946. Those nifty old neon diamonds are now encased in plexiglass -- likely the best way to keep them protected.
Weldon, NC
Charming old ghost sign -- the store appeared to be empty though.
Checking the company out online, I learned that it was quite the major enterprise and started operations more than 100 years ago. Things didn't go sour for them until the 1990s.
Here's some info from the North Carolina History Project web site:
"The early years of Heilig-Meyers were successful. W. A. Heilig and J. M. Meyers started a furniture store in Goldsboro in 1913. On a limited budget, they became an entrepreneurial success (they even delivered furniture on foot with smaller items strapped onto their backs). When other businesses failed during the Great Depression, the two Lithuanian immigrants cut costs and used in-store credit to grow their business. By the end of the decade, the two owned five stores: Goldsboro, Kinston, Wilson, Raleigh, and Rocky Mount.
In 1946, Heilig sold his interests to Meyers, who turned management over to his sons. Under their helm, the company grew to 14 stores by 1964 and 19 stores by 1970. Although the company’s headquarters had moved to Richmond, Virginia, most stores were located in eastern North Carolina.
Heilig-Meyers experienced steady growth during the 1970s and 1980s. Leadership acquired chains such as Thornton Stores and Bruce’s Furniture Stores. During the early 1980s, Meyer’s sons, Hyman and Sidney, retired and turned management over to existing upper management in the corporation. During the economic recession of the early 1980s, Heilig-Meyers did not close a store while its competitors performance dropped anywhere from 20 to 50-percent. Part of the company’s success had been its focus on starting stores in small towns."
Dublin, GA
The juxtaposition of the "celebrating black history month" flag right beside the monument to the Civil War's Confederate army caught my eye.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
Route/US 1
Kittery, Maine
Head south on US 1 in Maine and when you get to the absolute southernmost spot, just where you cross the bridge into New Hampshire, you'll find Warren's Lobster House.
The sign is a huge, double-sided beauty. It sits parallel to the street above, but the restaurant itself is down a small hill, sitting on the river near the base of this sign. As you can see, the old bulbs are unprotected but the old neon has a mesh covering on both sides of the sign.
From their web site:
"Constructed on top of wooden pilings just feet above the mighty waters of the Piscataqua River on U.S. Route 1 in Kittery, Maine, is Warren’s Lobster House.
Warren’s was established in 1940 by Warren “Pete” Wurm. When Warren’s opened it was a tiny six-stool lobster stand.
Today Warren’s is a 350-seat restaurant that houses a full-service bakery, a lobster pound capable of holding thousands of pounds of the delicious crustaceans, the Captain’s Treasure Chest Gift Shop, the Lobster Trap Lounge, Pete’s Stateline Sweets Candy Store, the Seacoast’s Finest Salad Bar, and a full-service, open-air deck. Warren’s has come a long way from that tiny, six-stool lobster stand in the days of 25-cent per pound lobster."
Cincinnati, OH
Boy, I wish it had been a blue-sky day. But it wasn't. Even so, I was so happy to shoot this fantastic sign. Just look at that cute neon car, with the neon starburst, and the neon driver! Fabulous!
The car didn't start off representative of a pizza place though. Here's the background info about the neon from the excellent Roadside Architecture site:
"This Trotta's Pizza sign is from the 1950s. It originally advertised for a Ferguson Car Wash. After the car wash closed, a Sight In Sound audio store opened on the property. The sign was repainted and the neon "FERGI" text was replaced with a neon sound wave pattern. Since 1996, the building has housed Trotta's Pizza. The owner maintains this sign since he believes it is appropriate for his drive-thru business."
Corbin, KY
I love these old "Bear" signs -- they're cute and fun. The typo on the one sign ("alinement") does irk me. I worked for years as an editor so it's just natural that typos bug the heck out of me lol
UPDATE: So "alinement" is an alternative spelling. Perhaps it's regional, as I've never seen it spelled that way here in Canada.
Bolton Landing, NY
According to information I read online, Carey's (located right on the lake) has been in business since 1954 and is still owned and operated by the same family.
Los Angeles, CA
Sure, I love the old part of the sign indicating "charbroiled burgers"....it's wonderfully aged and I'm glad it hasn't been replaced.
But....THAT GLOBE! It's awesome!! I don't know why they have it on top of their sign, but I'm happy they do.
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4 + kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: filmtagger.
The oval with the bird slowly spun around. When I visited the sign during the day, it did not spin but remained still.
North Wildwood, NJ
Daylight shot: www.flickr.com/photos/alphabetsoupstudio/43191900332/in/d...
Danvers, MA
Don't you just love a place called a "bowladrome" -- I was delighted to discover this in the Boston suburb of Danvers as we were exploring the area.
On the day I shot this, the sky was flat and grey and dull and boring. So.....I decided to have a little editing fun with the photo.
:-)
Frankfort, KY
from the archives.
i was working in my catalogues and ran across these pics. i thought this place was SO cool. so i looked it up on google maps thinking of going back to say "hey" again.
camera: canon 5D III
lens - 24-105mm and a lensbaby.
from Offbeat L.A.
"The abandoned Queen’s restaurant building is located at 601 N Mountain View Ave in San Bernardino, CA. Realty records show the building was constructed in 1970, but the sign is much older. It was likely moved here from the first location of the restaurant, opened in 1954, by Percy and Sophie Sellas at 1734 E. Highland Ave, also in San Bernardino." — Nikki Kreuzer
Lexington, KY
Neon trucks -- how cool is that!?
Happy the Glass Man has been in business for more than 100 years. That's longevity!
On US 15
Bishopville, SC
Even though it needs some repair.....isn't this a fabulous building?! I did some internet sleuthing and I believe it was the Roland Elmore & Sons garage. It also, apparently, is still for sale, more than 18 months after I photographed it.
US 1
Petersburg, VA
I have photographed the historic Trailways Bus Station several times (you will find two other photos in my Virginia album). Every time I see it, it looks a little more distressed.
From Wikipedia:
"The Petersburg Trailways Bus Station is a historic transportation terminal building at 108 East Washington Street in Petersburg, Virginia. Built by the Trailways bus system in 1946, this example of Moderne architecture is one of the state's best surviving examples of a little-altered mid-20th century bus terminal. It is a roughly T-shaped masonry building with curved corners, and a recessed entry under a canopy labelled "Trailways Bus". The interior has relatively little alteration, limited to the removal of the fixtures related to a whites-only dining counter in one area of the building.
During Freedom Rides organized by the Congress of Racial Equality, the building was a stop on the Trailways-operated portions of both the Journey of Reconciliation in 1947, and the Freedom Rides of 1961.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015."
Wonderful old neon in Lexington, KY
And here's the night view: www.flickr.com/photos/alphabetsoupstudio/38120635626/in/d...
Five photos back, you'll see my photo of Golden Donuts......seems like there's one sign designer who is a success with the local doughnut shops!
Grove City (Columbus), Ohio
(Edited to add: the Honey Dip in Columbus also has the same sign style....thanks to Debra Jane Seltzer for pointing that out :-) )