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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Museum of Neon Art (page 3) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| La Fonda Restaurant West Hollywood, CA |
diver sign West Hollywood, CA |
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| diver sign Glendale, CA |
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The La Fonda Restaurant opened in Glendale, CA in 1945. The sign was built in 1946. It was removed in 1982 and donated to the museum in 1984. The sign was displayed at Universal Studios' CityWalk from 1993-2000. In 2010, it was installed in the median of Santa Monica Boulevard. It was one of several vintage signs which were displayed there for the West Hollywood's "On Route - 66 Lights" installation which celebrated the city's 25th anniversary. The signs were removed by 2013. This La Fonda sign reappeared at MONA in Glendale in 2016. For more, see this website.
These diver signs are replicas of the Virginia Court Motel sign which was located in Meridian, MS. The original sign was built in 1950 when the motel added a pool. When the motel was demolished in the 1990s, the sign was saved by a collector. He had the sign restored and loaned it to the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles. The sign was then sold to another sign collector in Los Angeles. While the sign was at MONA, a replica was made for West Hollywood's "On Route -- 66 Lights" display. That sign is owned by West Hollywood. After being in storage for several years, the sign was temporarily installed in 2016 next to the West Hollywood Pool. In 2021, the sign was installed at West Hollywood Park. [map] In 2014, a second replica of the Meridian sign was built for MONA and installed on the roof of the museum in Glendale. It was built by the Federal-Heath Sign Company and is 19 feet long. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. For more Diving Women signs, see this page at my website. |
| Museum of Neon Art Pomona, CA |
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| Neon Bear Brewery 2022: |
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The Museum of Neon Art stores many of its vintage signs at the Pomona Packing Plant. Some of them will be restored and displayed at the museum in Glendale, CA. The museum also has other vintage signs in storage at other locations in the Los Angeles area.
The Eagle Rock Drugs sign might be from the 1940s. It was originally installed in the Eagle Rock neighborhood in Los Angeles. For more, see this website. The Pontiac sign is from the 1940s. It was originally at the bottom of a much larger L-shaped sign. For more, see this website. The Li Po Restaurant sign is a replica of the sign which was originally displayed in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. It featured two-part animation. The museum also has the original sign which has three-part animation. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. The Sandman Hotel sign was originally installed in Anaheim, CA. After languishing in City storage for about 20 years, the sign was donated to MONA in 2022. The Happy Bear sign was originally installed in Santa Ana, CA. It is being stored three pieces. The United Motor Service sign is believed to be from the 1930s. It was restored in 2018 is now displayed at the museum in Glendale. These signs were mass-produced for garages around the country. However, there are not any known survivors that have animated wheels like this one. The neon alternates between red and blue tubing to create the illusion of movement. For more, see this website. In 2022, the Neon Bear Brewery opened next door to the museum's storage space and began displaying the signs shown above. For more about the three signs on the right, see the previous two pages about MONA (links at bottom of this page). |
| The signs below are on display at Universal Studios' CityWalk. The vintage signs were restored by the Museum of Neon Art. In the early 1990s, the museum was located at CityWalk and installed about 20 vintage neon signs there. Many of them remain on long-term loan. Although the museum opened in 2016, these signs will be staying at CityWalk. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Richfield Oil Universal City, CA |
Steele's Motel Universal City, CA |
Wendy's Western Woundup Universal City, CA |
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The Richfield Oil eagle sign is from a 1940s gas station. The sign is 13 feet tall. The sign was donated to MONA in 1992 and restored. It would have been installed on top of the station like this one. For more, see this website.
Steele's Motel was built in Sherman Oaks in 1934 as the Steele's Motor Lodge. This 20-foot-tall sign was built around 1954. It features a five-part animated female diver diving into a pool. The motel was demolished in 1988. The sign was later donated to the museum. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. The Wendy's Western Woundup clothing store was located in Beverly Hills, CA. This sign was built in 1980 by Lili Lakich. For more, see this website. |
| Melrose Theatre Universal City, CA |
Earl Carroll Theatre Universal City, CA |
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These Melrose Theatre bulb signs were built in the 1920s. They were part of a 30 by 45 foot rooftop display which was removed in the 1970s. Some of the pieces were saved by future founders of MONA. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Earl Carroll Theatre sign is a recreation of a 1938 sign which was located in Hollywood. The recreation was built in 1983 by MONA. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| bucking bull Universal City, CA |
Holmes Tuttle Pontiac Universal City, CA |
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I believe the bucking bull sign is from the 1980s. For more, see this website.
The Holmes Tuttle Pontiac sign is about 12 feet long. It was built in the 1940s. The front and back panels are displayed separately. The dealership was originally located in Los Angeles. The sign was removed by the 1970s and put in storage. It was donated to MONA in 1982. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Condes' Restaurant Universal City, CA |
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| Condes' Restaurant was located in Gardena, CA. The sign was built in 1960 when the restaurant opened. The 20-foot-long sign features flickering flames. For more, see this website. |
| Pioneer Super Market Universal City, CA |
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| The Pioneer Super Market flashing cars sign was built in 1948 to direct customers to its parking lot. Before the store was demolished, the six cars were saved by a MONA volunteer. |
| Popcornopolis Universal City, CA |
Buca di Beppo Universal City, CA |
Samba Brazilian Steakhouse and Lounge Universal City, CA |
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| Cinnabon Universal City, CA |
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The modern signs have nothing to do with MONA but I'll include them anyway since they are displayed at CityWalk.
The Popcornopolis sign is installed at this Popcornopolis store. For more, see this website. This Buca di Beppo opened in 2009. The sign is the same design but far larger than those at their other restaurants. The original location opened in 1993 in Minneapolis, MN and there are now about 70 around the country. I believe the design for this sign was based on the Cantina Italiana sign in Boston, MA. The Samba Brazilian Steakhouse and Lounge sign is modern. For more, see this website. The Cinnabon sign is installed in front of this Cinnabon store. |
|
Museum of Neon Art (page 1) |
Museum of Neon Art (page 2) |
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Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |