email: roadarch@outlook.com

Flower Signs

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The photos on this page are being moved here from my Signs section to accompany an article that I'm working on for the Society for Commercial Archeology Journal magazine. The article covers signs with graphic depictions of flowers so other florist signs will still be found in the Signs section. I'm just starting to work on the article and build this page. So, check back in late December when things are done. The signs below are organized alphabetically by state.

Simpson's Florist
Decatur, AL
Simpson's Florist opened in 1957 with this sign. Shortly after this photo was taken in 2010, the sign was restored. [map]

Watson's Flowers [gone]
Mesa, AZ
2012:

2018:
Watson's Flowers was established in 1927. This store opened in 1933. The building is from around 1920 and was originally a gas station with four cabins behind it. The 30-foot-tall pole sign was built in 1955-1956. It was built by the Paul Millet Sign Co. for $8,000. In 2014, it was nearly toppled during a windstorm. It was safely laid down in the parking lot. In 2019, the Mesa Preservation Foundation acquired the sign. It is being restored and will be displayed in Mesa at The Post Neon Garden along with a few other restored local signs in 2025.

Samuel's Florist
Burbank, CA (now Glendale, CA)
2013 and 2015: 2018:
2022:
Samuel's Florist was founded in 1937. The business moved to this location in 1956. The blade sign on the left is from then. The larger sign on the right is from 1959. It is 16 feet long. The signs were removed in 2017. The blade sign is in storage at the Museum of Neon Art's storage facility in Pomona, CA. That other sign and the "Drive-in" sign which was below the blade sign were restored and are now displayed at the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA. The word "FLORIST" below the flower originally flashed between red and white. After complaints from the city, the flashing was turned off and the red and white remained static. The "Drive-in" arrow has bulbs around the border. The bulbs were removed and the holes were covered up. The museum has taken the covering off and restored the bulbs.

Reedley Flower Shop
Reedley, CA
The Reedley Flower Shop is still in operation. It opened in 1951 and this sign appears to be from then. [map]

Sunken Gardens
St. Petersburg, FL
2009: 2020:
The Sunken Gardens opened in 1911. In 1960, a new sign was produced by Manton Giles of Ace Neon. The 30-foot-tall sign combined neon flowers and backlit plastic letters. It was modified over the years with different flowers and other elements. In 2003, the sign was replaced using the original poles. The two text panels for "Sunken" and "Gardens" were combined into one panel and the chevron was less prominent. In 2023, the sign was demolished for a replica of the original which was created by Thomas Sign and Awning of Clearwater for $180,000. The botanical garden is located 15 feet below street level. Since 1999, it has been owned and managed by the city. This sign inspired at least two others, both gone, in Gatlinburg, TN and Fort Bragg, CA. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map]

La Salle Flowers
Chicago, IL		 Mike's Floral Shop [gone]
Chicago, IL
La Salle Flowers has been here since about 1936. This sign has been there since then. In 2012, the sign was moved from the side of the building to the corner to comply with city ordinances. For more, see this website. [map]

Mike's Floral Shop was also known as Mike's Flower Shop. This window "skeleton" sign appeared to be vintage. The store closed and this sign was gone by 2015.

Prost Florist [gone]
Chicago, IL
The Prost Florist opened in 1945. This sign may be from then. The sign is now at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, OH. For more, see this website.

West Side
Flower Shop [gone]
Wichita, KS		 Flowers by Lobb
Lincoln Park, MI
The West Side Flower Shop opened in 1952. In 2006, a new business moved in and the sign was removed. [photo thanks Glenda Campbell]

Flowers by Lobb was established in 1929. This sign might be from the 1930s or 1940s. [map]

Teefey Flowers [gone]
Kansas City, MO
Teefey Flowers featured two 1950s-looking signs. The company either closed or moved sometime after 2007. By 2011, the neon had been removed from the pole sign and new panels were added for another business. The flower sign was disappeared between 2012 and 2014. For more, see this website. [left photo thanks Glenda Campbell]

G.B. Windler Co. Florist [gone]
St. Louis, MO		 Webb City Florist
Webb City, MO
The G.B. Windler Co. Florist store opened in 1957. This sign appears to be from then. This photo is from 2012. The store and the sign were gone by 2015.

The Webb City Florist sign was built in 1953 when the Ferree Florist changed its name. In 2023, the sign was restored. For more, see this website. [map]

Dickerson's Flower Shop
Dover, NJ		 West Milford Florist
West Milford, NJ
Dickerson's Flower Shop opened in the late 1920s. The sign is probably from the 1950s. The store is still open. [map]

West Milford Florist opened in 1950. Their sign looks recently repainted. In the 1990s, the petals were white, the hat was black and the pole was green. The face had no curls or dimples and the brim of the hat read "say it with flowers". [map]

Endres & Gross Flowers & Gifts
Salem, OH		 Cook's Flowers [gone]
Drumright, OK		 Lakeview Florist
Portland, OR
Endres & Gross Flowers & Gifts is gone but this sign remains. The sign is probably from the 1940s or 1950s. By 2018, the sign had been half-covered up with black paint and most of the neon was gone. [map]

Cook's Flowers was established in 1949. This sign was probably from then. The sign and building were gone in 2022.

The Lakeview Florist sign is displayed inside the Monticello Antique Marketplace. It was probably built in the 1950s. I don't know if this sign was originally installed in Portland, Lakeview, OR, or elsewhere. [map]

Avery's Flower Shop [gone]
Jermyn, PA		 Bob's Flower Shop
Northampton, PA
The Avery's Flower Shop sign appeared to be from the 1950s or earlier. By 2023, the store and sign were gone.

Bob's Flower Shop opened in 1940. This neon sign may be from then or shortly after. [map]

Flowers
by Sandy [gone]
Memphis, TN		 Sally's Flower Shoppe [gone]
Fort Worth, TX		 Garland
Flower Shop
Garland, TX
Flowers by Sandy was founded in 1949 but this sign appeared to be modern. When this photo was taken in 2007, the store was closed and vacant. By 2011, the sign was gone.

The Sally's Flower Shoppe sign was probably from the 1950s. The neon had been missing since at least 2007. The store closed in 2016. This sign was removed around 2021. For more, see this website.

The Garland Flower Shop opened around 1946. This sign may be from then or the 1950s. The store is gone now but the sign remains. [map]

Luepke Florist
Vancouver, WA

2008:
2015:
The Luepke Florist opened in 1910. After a fire destroyed the business, this building, designed by Donald J. Stewart, was constructed in 1937. This sign was installed then. The building was repainted in 2015 and the business is now known as Luepke Flowers & Finds. Soon after that, the sign was changed to read Luepke Station. In 2014, new owners began renovations to building and plans to turn it into retail and food complex known as Luepke Station. In 2015, the building was repainted and the flower shop was renamed Luepke Flowers and Finds. The same year, the old sign was replaced with one advertising Luepke Station. The new top panel reading "LUEPKE" and the addition to the bottom reading "STATION" are lit with LED. The flower and leaves are still lit with neon but the background is now black. The flower shop closed in 2019. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Morgantown
Florist [gone]
Morgantown, WV		 Minnich's
Flowers and Gifts
Webster Springs, WV
The Morgantown Florist was long gone when this photo was taken in 2012 but the sign remained. By 2014, it was gone.

Minnich's Flowers and Gifts is still in business. This sign is probably from the 1950s or earlier. [map]

More Flower Signs:
Rose Bowl Motor Hotel (Phoenix, AZ) [vintage; gone]
Lou Gentile's Flower Basket (Fresno, CA)
Chalet Florist (Petaluma, CA)
Dupont Flowers (Washington, DC) [gone]
Jackson Florist (Covington, KY)
Hartstone Flowers (Weymouth, MA) [vintage; gone]
Charles A. Gibney Florist (Hagerstown, MD)
The Flower Shop (Hancock, MI)
Peoples Flowers (Albuquerque, NM)
Dot's Flowers (Las Vegas, NV)
Bates Florist (Nashville, TN) [gone]
Benny's Florist (Chehalis, WA) [map]
Arlene's Flowers (Richland, WA)
Ocon's Flowers (Walla Walla, WA) [gone]
Chet & Leona's Flowers (Milwaukee, WI)
Miller's Flowers (Racine, WI)
Pilcher's Flowers (Halifax, NS)
Delta Florist (Hamilton, ON) [gone]

If you know of any other flower signs, I'd love to hear from you.

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