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Los Angeles Signs (page 1)

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janitorial store
Los Angeles, CA		 B&B Produce [gone]
Los Angeles, CA		 House of a Thousand Fabrics
Los Angeles, CA
I believe this janitorial store has been replaced with Vee Enterprises, a wholesale pet supply business. The janitor sign still remains as of 2015. [map]

B&B Produce was a meat and produce store. There were two of these signs on the roof when this photo was taken in 2008. The signs were still there in 2012 but gone by 2014.

The House of a Thousand Fabrics signs are probably from the 1950s or 1960s. These photos are from 2008. The store has closed and the script lettering on the building is gone now. The other signs were still there in 2016. However, the scissors were gone by 2018. [map]

Canter's Delicatessen
Los Angeles, CA
Canter's Delicatessen was established in 1931 in Boyle Heights, CA. The restaurant moved to the Fairfax district in 1948. In 1953, it moved to this location, the former Esquire Theatre building. These signs appear to be from then. [map]

Leonardo's
Night Club [gone]
Los Angeles, CA		 Dan-Dee Shoe Repair [gone]
Los Angeles, CA		 Leader
Beauty Shop
Los Angeles, CA		 Ken Clark Pontiac
Los Angeles, CA
This photo of the Leonardo's Night Club sign is from 2008. It was probably built in the 1950s or earlier. The sign is still there but the neon has been removed and it has been repainted for the Candela Taco Bar. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Dan-Dee Shoe Repair had a few locations and was established by 1947. This store opened in 1947. The sign had been recently restored when this photo was taken in 2008. There was a fire, the business closed, and the building was demolished. This sign is gone now.

The Leader Beauty Shop opened in the 1920s in Boyle Heights. The business moved here in 1946 and this sign is probably from then. The store closed in 1989. This sign remains and is still lit at night. The top part of the sign with the heads originally revolved. For more, see this website. [map]

The Ken Clark Pontiac sign was reworked in the early 1960s when it became Majestic Pontiac. The showroom was demolished for a parking lot. More recently, the sign was adapted for a Big 5 Sporting Goods. The remaining neon Pontiac Indian is still lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Big Top Liquor
Los Angeles, CA		 Garfono's
Pizza [gone]
Los Angeles, CA		 Solid
Gallery One [gone]
Los Angeles, CA		 Original Pantry Cafe
Los Angeles, CA
The Big Top Liquor sign was probably built in the 1960s. The building had been vacant for several years when Screen Novelties, an animation company, moved into the building. In 2012, the company had the sign adapted to read "Hi-Fi", a reference to the Historic Filipinotown neighborhood where the business is located. An x-ray panel was added to giraffe's neck where it previously read "Liquor". The "Deli" panel at the bottom was kept. For more, see this website. [map]

Garfono's Pizza opened in 1959. This sign looks older than that. It was probably adapted from a previous business. In 2015, the sign was painted black and bore the name of L.A. Hookah Lounge. By 2016, the sign was painted over again and plastic letters spelling out L.A. Hot Wings had been applied. [map]

Solid Gallery One was a tattoo studio and art gallery. This sign was probably adapted from another business, neon added, and then installed here. The plastic ball was too small to be a Norge Ball and was not designed in the same way. The business and sign were gone by 2019.

The Original Pantry Cafe opened in 1924. The restaurant moved to this location in 1950. The parking lot sign and the blade sign on the building might be from the original location. The "Breakfast" sign appears to be modern. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Holiday Liquor
Los Angeles, CA		 Wally's
Wines & Spirits [gone]
Los Angeles, CA		 cigar sign
Los Angeles, CA
The Holiday Liquor sign is probably from the 1960s. For more, see this website. [map]

Wally's Wines & Spirits opened in 1968. This sign might have been from then. This photo is from 2013. By 2014, the store was still there but the cigar sign was gone. It is now displayed at the Neon Alley in Pueblo, CO. For more, see this website.

The second cigar sign shown above is located in an alley at The Grove shopping center. It appears to be vintage with restored neon. I don't know where this sign came from. [map]

Safety Cycle Shop
Los Angeles, CA (now Glendale, CA)
2013: 2022:
The Safety Cycle Shop sign was built in the 1950s. I have not seen any Schwinn signs like this one before but they may have been mass-produced. this sign was never animated. The store moved next door and no longer owned the sign. The space in the building below the sign remained vacant. In 2017, the sign was removed and is now displayed at the Museum of Neon Art. For more, see this website.

El Coyote Mexican Cafe
Los Angeles, CA
The El Coyote Mexican Cafe was founded in 1931. The restaurant moved to this location in 1951. These signs are probably from then. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Sir Palmer
Apartments
Los Angeles, CA		 Tokio Hotel
Los Angeles, CA		 Re-Tan Hotel
Los Angeles, CA		 Charlie's Kosher Delicatessen
Beverlywood Kosher Meats
Los Angeles, CA
The Sir Palmer Apartments sign is probably from the 1930s. It features ripple tin panels and originally had neon. [map]

The Tokio Hotel was built in 1914. The sign is probably from the late 1920s or 1930s. [map]

The Re-Tan Hotel sign appears to be from the 1930s. The hotel must have gone by another name originally based on the cover-up name panel at the top. The sign was repainted sometime between 2011 and 2014. For more, see this website. [map]

The photo of the Charlie's Kosher Delicatessen and Beverlywood Kosher Meats signs is from 2008. Beverlywood Kosher Meats has closed and the sign on the right has been painted over with white paint now. The photo on the right of Charlie's is from 2013. [map]

Kipling Hotel
Los Angeles, CA		 Wolfer Printing Company
Los Angeles, CA
The Kipling Hotel was built in the 1920s. This sign is probably from the late 1920s or 1930s. The building is now used for apartments. I believe the arrow sign was added in the 1950s. [map]

The Wolfer Printing Company building was built in 1929. The sign is probably from then or the early 1930s. The metal sign features tin borders and raised letters. [map]

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