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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Scaffold Signs (page 7) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Santa Fe Clovis, NM |
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| This vintage Santa Fe sign was originally installed on a freight house roof. When the building was demolished in the 1980s, the sign was removed. After residents demanded that the sign be returned, it was installed as a pole sign. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Quality Liquor Roswell, NM |
Raton Raton, NM |
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The rooftop sign at Quality Liquor is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. [map]
This Raton sign is installed on top of Goat Hill which overlooks the city. It was installed by the 1950s and has probably been there much longer than that. It is lit in red at night. The star is lit with white bulbs. [map] |
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More New Mexico:
Tommy's Roller Rink (Las Cruces) Nob Hill Lodge (Ruidoso) Paradise Motel (Tucumcari) [gone] |
| parking sign [gone] Beatty, NV |
Star Hotel Elko, NV |
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This parking sign was originally installed in Las Vegas. It originally read Last Frontier Village which was a Western themed tourist attraction next door to the Hotel Last Frontier. I believe it opened in 1942. In 1950, the Silver Slipper Gambling Hall, originally named the Golden Slipper, opened next door. After the Last Frontier Village closed, the sign was apparently adapted for the Silver Slipper's parking lot. A slipper graphic was added to the top center of the sign. This sign was removed and in storage in a sign yard. The owner of the Exchange Club in Beatty came to Las Vegas to have a sign made and decided to take this one as well. The Exchange Club closed but the sign remained. In 2018, the sign was knocked to the ground during strong winds. I don't know if there are plans to reinstall it. For more, see this website.
The Star Hotel was built in 1910 as a boarding house and restaurant. It now houses a bar and restaurant. For more, see this website. [map] |
| El Cortez Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV |
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| The El Cortez Hotel & Casino opened in 1941. This rooftop sign is from 1946. The "Gambling" arrow sign and awning were added in 1952. Some old El Cortez signs are at The Neon Museum in Las Vegas. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map] |
| Stockman's Restaurant & Casino Fallon, NV |
Mizpah Hotel Tonopah, NV |
Wells Chalet Bar & Casino [gone] Wells, NV |
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The Stockman's Restaurant & Casino supposedly opened in 1960. This sign must be from then although it looks older than that. It is installed at the back of the property. [map]
The Mizpah Hotel was built in 1905. The two identical rooftop signs were there by the 1950s. The neon was replaced with these LED lights at some point. For more, see this website. [map] The Wells Chalet Bar & Casino was badly damaged in an earthquake in 2008. It did not reopen. The building was demolished and the sign was gone by 2018. |
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More Nevada:
Grand Central Motel (Ely) Pioneer Club (Las Vegas) Jerry's Nugget Hotel & Casino (North Las Vegas) Hotel El Cortez (Reno) Welcome Arch (Reno) |
| Kentile Floors [gone] Brooklyn, NY |
Eagle Clothes [gone] Brooklyn, NY |
E.J. Trum Brooklyn, NY |
Bruno Truck Sales Brooklyn, NY |
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The Kentile Floors sign was built sometime between 1949 and 1954. It was 88 feet tall. The last time it was lit, which was many years before it was removed, the sign was lit with purple neon. It is not known if that was the original color. The Kentile floor tile company was founded in Brooklyn in 1898. In 1992, the company declared bankruptcy from lawsuits over the asbestos contained in their tiles. The photo above is from 2009. In 2014, work needed to be done to the building and the sign was found to be in bad shape. The steel scaffolding supporting it was rusted and crumbling. The sign and scaffolding were removed. The letters were saved and donated to the Gowanus Alliance. It is hoped that the letters will be displayed somewhere in the future. There was an identical sign in Chicago, IL which was removed in 2013. I don't believe there were any others like these. For more, see this website.
The Eagle Clothes plant opened in 1951 and this sign was installed then. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1989. U-Haul has occupied the building since then. In 2013, the company announced that it was adding two floors to the top of the building. This sign was removed at that time. Part of the sign may be integrated into the building's addition. However, it is believed that the sign was scrapped. This photo was taken in 2009. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. E.J. Trum was a paper goods manufacturer. The building was taken over by John Turano & Sons Furniture in 1978. Turano attempted to pull down the lettering to install his own sign but the R could not be removed. The sign remains. [map] The Bruno Truck Sales sign was built around 1965. [map] |
| Beech-Nut [gone] Canajoharie, NY |
Silvercup Studios Long Island City, NY |
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Beech-Nut opened its production facilities in Canajoharie in 1891. At that time, the company produced smoked ham and bacon. In 1931, they began producing baby food. In 2010, the company moved to Florida, NY. In 2013, this sign was scrapped. For more, see this website.
The Silvercup Studios sign was built around 1961 for the Silvercup Bakery. It was adapted in 1983 for Silvercup Studios. The sign originally read "Silvertop Bread". [map] |
| Northway Inn [gone] Colonie, NY |
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| The Northway Inn was built in 1960. These photos are from 2001. By 2010, the motel and signs were gone. |
| General Electric Schenectady, NY |
General Electric [gone] Fort Wayne, IN |
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General Electric was established in Schenectady in 1892. General Electric has been using the same GE logo since 1900. The round logo was designed to fit in the center of an electrical fan. This giant incandescent bulb sign was built in 1926 by the Federal Electric Company. At the time, it was the largest electric sign in the country. The sign is 168 feet wide and spans nearly the full width of the company's headquarters building. 1,399 bulbs are used to illuminate the 10-foot-tall letters and 36 foot tall logo. The sign is animated with the letters of the logo and the text below lit sequentially. General Electric is lit in white. THE GE logo is outlined with blue with red letters. The 25-watt bulbs are lit in sequence with the outside of the logo first, then the GE letters, then the General Electric letters. It costs over $15,000 per year to maintain the sign. The logo bulbs have been changed to red and green for the Christmas season since at least the 1950s. In 2010, the company was considering changing to LED bulbs. I believe that has taken place. For more, see this website. [map]
This immense General Electric rooftop bulb sign in Fort Wayne was erected in the late 1920s. It was being refurbished in 2009 when the photo at the left was taken. The second photo is from 2010. GE closed this facility in 2015. The sign was removed in 2016 and put in storage. In 2018, as plans moved forward in the redevelopment of the property, General Electric announced that the sign could not be reinstalled unless it was in a courtyard or somewhere hidden from public view. For more, see this website. There was a similar sign at the Erie, PA plant which is gone now. There was another large GE bulb logo scaffold sign in Philadelphia, PA. There were other early, large GE plants in West Lynn, MA and Pittsfield, MA but I have not seen such signs at those in any vintage photos. |
| Star Cleaners Vestal, NY |
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| Star Cleaners opened in 1946. This sign was installed at that time. Although the cleaners closed in 2005, this rooftop sign remains. In 2010, the neon star was relit for the Christmas season. [map] |
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More New York:
Wonder Wheel (Brooklyn) Hotel Lafayette (Buffalo) Silver Sands Motel (Greenport) Pepsi-Cola (Long Island City) Hotel Empire (New York) Tudor City (New York) Queens County Savings Bank (Queens) Revere Copper (Rome) |
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Scaffold Signs page 1 |
Scaffold Signs page 2 |
Scaffold Signs page 3 |
Scaffold Signs page 4 |
Scaffold Signs page 5 |
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Scaffold Signs page 6 |
Scaffold Signs page 8 |
Scaffold Signs page 9 |
Scaffold Signs page 10 |
Scaffold Signs page 11 |
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Main SCA Article Companion Page |
Main Signs Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
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. |