Sign blog

The Graffiti Gift

2012-01-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

The walls of buildings and infrastructure throughout the world turned into the canvases of youth and impacted the world’s populace with shocking messages.

In the 60s The New York Times reported the trend of some young people tagging the subway walls and cars with their names. Soon, everyone wanted a piece of the action and graffiti became widespread. Most markings were scrawl, but some were a gift of art.

The gift came in the form of a man with talent in his hand. Artist Keith Herring brought this art form to a Golden Age by his artistic renditions on unused advertisement panels throughout New York City. Other artists followed suit and to this day, if you look hard, you can find graffiti that was Herring-inspired—bright contrasting colors with bold, clear shapes.

Considered a demon to some and art to others, this signage was a statement from artists who felt they had right to make public art for art’s sake and gang members who expressed their aggression on walls with text and image in a declaration of turf.

While the art world gave Herring wild accolades for his work, cities worldwide struggled to control tagging, or posting graffiti in conspicuous public places.Herring, meanwhile, had his work codified his work onto toys, books, games and other home accessories in Europe and the U.S.

In Asia, artists worked to little notice on impressive murals that appeared throughout Asia by the end of the century.

Saying Goodbye to Phone Booths

2012-01-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that the typical landlines are quickly becoming a thing of the past. To be sure, they still exist in homes and businesses everywhere, but their appearance on the street—phones inside hallow rectangular prisms, a safe, quiet place for callers to duck the sounds of traffic on the street--is dwindling as more and more people chat on cell phones in the open air.

Many phone booths, such as those in several cities in Bolivia went mod in the 60s, in the form of phones housed inside bird sculptures as they had (and still have) in the city of Sucre, Bolivia. In Morocco, phone booths are called teleboutiques. Others around the world varied in color from icy blues to fiery reds.

Hello Hollywood

2012-01-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

Hollywood has always been an inspiration to artists all around the world, and the legends of the twentieth century starlets appeared everywhere in Las Vegas.

In the early 1990s actress Debbie Reynolds bought a hotel and plastered it with murals of her favorite stars.

The hotel was demolished after Reynolds declared bankruptcy some five years later.
cafe art

Ghost Signs

2012-01-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

These painted wall signs can be found in cities that were created in the late 1800s.

By the late 20th century some of the signs remained and became known as ghost signs.

They contain faded and peeling paint, often revealing a pentimento effect, one image showing through another.

The lead paints and other chemicals used to create the signs, durable yet toxic, exposed the sign painters, who were often called wall dogs, to an environmental hazards at the same time as they made art that seemed to last forever. vintage photos

2012-01-03T18:03:00.001-08:00

Bennetts Ice Cream in the Farmers Market, Los Angeles.

Assurance?

2011-12-25T18:19:00.001-08:00

Losses for the "assured?" Anybody have an idea what that means. Is it "insurance" misused?

Way West Motel

2011-10-06T18:44:00.001-07:00

Seattle, Washington.

Fine Arts

2011-09-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

What a great name for a theater!

El Rey Theater Clock

2011-09-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

Clocks on signs used to be really popular in the 1950s-1980s.

Ticket Booth

2011-09-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ticket booth at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City, CA.

2011-09-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Fox Theater in Westwood, Los Angeles

Town House Motel

2011-08-26T16:48:00.001-07:00

motel photos

Randy's Donuts

2011-08-16T22:36:00.001-07:00

Ick

2011-08-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Mary Pickford Theater sign that says "t-I-C-K-e-t-s"

Yet Another Motel

2011-07-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

Mayfair Motel

2011-07-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mayfair Motel, Inyokern, CA

Stardust Lodge

2011-07-27T12:53:00.001-07:00

South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Silver Maple Motel

2011-07-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Bridgeport, California

Doughnuts

2011-07-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Heard a lot of good things about this doughnut shop in Seattle, but didn't get a chance to get there. If you have, how are the doughnuts?

Capitol Theater

2011-07-18T15:01:00.001-07:00

Capitol Theater in Olympia, Washington.

Butch's Guns

2011-07-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Butch's Guns, Seattle architecture photos

Klose-In Motel

2011-07-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

Seattle, Washington.

Sinclair Sign

2011-07-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen one of these in years; shot somewhere in LA, can't recall exact location.

Thunderbird Motel

2011-07-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Thunderbird Motel on Aurora Street in Seattle looks like it won't be there much longer.

There's another Thunderbird Motel in Riverside, California.

motel art

Seattle Car Wash

2011-07-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

This Elephant Car Wash sign is in Seattle. Do you know where the other one is?

Answer here.
automobile photos