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Oakland Signs (page 2)

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Oaks Motel [gone]
Oakland, CA		 Talk of the Town
Oakland, CA		 Sun Hop Fat
Supermarket #1 [gone]
Oakland, CA		 Walden Pond Books
Oakland, CA
This photo of the Oaks Motel sign is from 2008. Since then, the sign has been significantly altered with the neon panels replaced with plastic panels and backlit plastic letters. For more, see this website. [map]

The Talk of the Town sign is probably from the 1950s. For more, see this website. [map]

This light bulb filled cocktail glass hung above the Sun Hop Fat Supermarket #1 until 2014. This sign must have been left behind by a bar. The sign was gone in 2015.

Walden Pond Books opened in sometime after 1976. The Grand Lake Ace Hardware store was located here before that. It appears that this sign was adapted from that business. The neon was restored in 2021 by Peterson Neon. [map]

Ideal Cleaners
Oakland, CA		 Hansen Coffee
Oakland, CA		 Touraine Hotel
Oakland, CA
Ideal Cleaners opened in 1938. The vitrolite facade and sign are believed to have been installed then. For more, see this website. [map]

Hansen Coffee was established in 1894. The company continues to roast coffee in this building. This sign might be from the 1950s but I suspect it is more modern than that. It was restored sometime after 1985. The word "Good" was added to the sign and steam was painted on the building. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Touraine Hotel signs are replicas created by the Arrow Sign Company. The originals had raised letters and tin borders. They were replaced around 2011. These photos are from 2018. The signs' "TOURAINE" letters were backlit glass. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Larm's Building Material
Oakland, CA		 Gallardo Glass Co.
Oakland, CA		 Gallagher's Liquors
Oakland, CA
Larm's Building Material was established in 1927. This sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

The Gallardo Glass Co. sign appears to be from the 1950s. [map]

The Gallagher's Liquors sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

Acme Fire Extinguisher Co.
Oakland, CA
The Acme Fire Extinguisher Co. projecting sign had neon originally. The rooftop sign is around the corner of the building. Both of these signs are probably from the 1950s. [map]

Sherwin-Williams
Paint
Oakland, CA		 V&J's Body Shop
Oakland, CA		 Tony Rossi & Sons Florists
Oakland, CA		 Flowers
Oakland, CA
This plastic Sherwin-Williams Paint sign is about 10 feet tall. [map]

V&J's Body Shop artist's palette sign was built by the owner's father. [map]

Tony Rossi & Sons Florists was established in 1910. This building appears to be from the 1950s. I assume the sign is from then. The neon has been removed. [map]

This Flowers sign hangs above Black Spring Coffee Company. This sign appears identical to the Tony Rossi sign and must have been another location. At one time, G. Rossi had flower shops in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Fresno and Reno. Tony and "G" must have been related. [map]

Claridge Hotel
Oakland, CA		 Fruitvale
Medical
Building
Oakland, CA		 Spitz
Jewelers [gone]
Oakland, CA		 Paramount Liquor [gone]
Oakland, CA
The Claridge Hotel opened in 1933. This sign might be from then or slightly later. [map]

The Fruitvale Medical Building was built in 1927. This sign was installed later. It may be pre-1950s. For more, see this website. [map]

Spitz Jewelers opened here in 1946. This sign might have been from then. In 1986, the store moved to Walnut Creek, CA but this sign was still there in 2014 when this photo was taken. The sign was removed in 2015.

The Paramount Liquor sign is probably from the 1940s or 1950s. In 2019, the neon was removed and plastic backlit letters were added. [map]

Glenn's Hot Dogs
Oakland, CA
2014: 2020: 2022:
The Glenn's Hot Dogs sign has been here since at least 1961. Glenn's closed in 2016. In 2019, the sign was adapted for 4505 Bar-B-Que. The "Hot Dogs" panel was replaced with a new one reading "Bar-B-Que." The neon for "Glenn's" was changed to "4505." The "Parking" arrow now reads "Patio" in neon. In 2021, the sign was adapted again for Ghost Town Brewing. The spinning Hot Dogs panel now reads "GHOST" on one side and "TOWN" on the other. [map]

J. Miller Flowers
Oakland, CA		 Broadway Motel
Oakland, CA		 2101 Club
Oakland, CA		 George Kaye's
Oakland, CA
The J. Miller Flowers sign appears to be from the 1940s or 1950s. For more, see this website. [map]

The Broadway Motel sign was probably built in the 1950s or 1960s. The first photo is from 2015. In 2018, the neon letters were replaced with backlit plastic letters and the panels were painted turquoise. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The 2101 Club sign is probably from the 1950s. For more, see this website. [map]

George Kaye's bar opened in 1934. This sign has ripple tin panels. It is probably from the 1940s or earlier. For more, see this website. [map]

Albert Brown Mortuary [gone]
Oakland, CA
The Albert Brown Mortuary was established in 1873. The sign on the left is probably from the 1950s. The sign on the right might be a modern replacement of a 1950s sign. In 2019, the rooftop sign's neon was removed and the panel was painted over. The other signs have been stripped of their neon and painted over as well. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

More Oakland:
Colonial Chapel
Dave's Coffee Shop [gone; sign donated to MONA in Glendale, CA]
Donut Corner
Foothill Square
Giant Burgers
Grand Lake Theatre
Greyhound station
Havenscourt Colonial Church
Hi-Hat Cleaners
Jackson's Liquors
Laurel Lounge
Lineman's Club (now Vacaville, CA)
Oakland Fox Theatre
Original Kasper's Hot Dogs and Kasper's Hot Dogs
Piedmont Cobblers Shoe Repair [gone]
Sherwin-Williams Paint [vintage; gone]
Steele's Discount Scuba [map]
Walter Bennett Cameras [gone]

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