Tag: Googie

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Sigel's Liquor Sign

A Visit to the Neon Boneyard

January 23, 2013 | Wednesday
See video

The guys over at Tested recently visited Las Vegas's magnificent Neon Museum and its famous boneyard, an outdoor exhibition of Sin City's discarded Googie signage.

In the resulting video, we get a glimpse at some of Vegas's most iconic bits of neon, as well as a short history of the city's signage from the museum's executive director, Danielle Kelly.

When you're done watching, be sure to head over to my own Googie-preservation project, Satelluxe.

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Own Your Own Piece of Roadside Googie

May 16, 2011 | Monday

Love classic, midcentury signage as much as I do? Well, now you can own a piece for your very own, available at my new site, Satelluxe!

In all the time I've spent on the road researching my books, driving through aging and historic towns, I acquired an insatiable love of Googie, a style of design prevalent in old motels and their eye-catching signage. These days, I can't hit the road without stopping repeatedly to photograph a collection of big arrows, oversize type and flashing neon.

Unfortunately, such treasures are quickly disappearing from the roadside, and acquiring a piece for oneself is becoming exceptionally difficult due to surviving signs' size or deteriorating condition. For this reason, I started producing designs of my own, inspired by the very items I see out on the road.

If you've ever hoped to grab a piece of Googie to take home with you, head on over to Satelluxe and have a look. And keep checking back, because there's more to come soon!

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Sigel's Sign to Be Christened With Cheap Liquor

July 16, 2009 | Thursday

This just in: the fantastical Googie sign that was rescued from the now-defunct Sigel's liquor store in Dallas will finally be christened at its new location tomorrow morning.

The sign, which was built in 1953 and stood at the corner of Inwood and Lemmon until just a few weeks ago, was installed at another Sigel's location in Addison, at 15003 Inwood Road, last month. And though its bubbly neon circles and fantastic sputnik topper have already been shining for a few weeks now, Sigel's will officially christen the sign tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.

The city's mayor, as well as "a host of other Addison dignitaries" will get on their morning drunk by toasting the historic landmark with a nice bottle of wine. What's more, when the store opens at 10, they'll be having a super sale, including such fine deals as these:

Wine Super Specials - 30%-75% Off
All Other Wines in the Store - 20% Off
Spirits Super Specials – 30-70% Off
All Cigars – 20% Off

Just don't get between me and the Jack Daniel's display.

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Sigel's Sign Sees the Neon Light

June 23, 2009 | Tuesday

Last month, I received word that the incredible Googie sign that had stood in front of the Sigel's Liquor here in Dallas since 1953 was coming down with the razing of said location. Thankfully, Sigel's was smart enough to preserve the sign, planning to erect it again in front of another of their stores.

Well, I just got word that, after a month's wait, the sign will finally be installed at their outlet in Addison, Texas, tomorrow morning at 9:00.

If you can't make it, Sigel's rep Jasper Russo says there will be an official dedication sometime next month.

We are still planning a dedication ceremony and sales event for the formal recommissioning of the sign. This will probably happen after the 4th of July and will feature a 1950s theme, including a sale featuring a number of high profile wines and spirits at 50% off.

The new location is at 15003 Inwood Road.

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More Googie Catalog Images

June 11, 2009 | Thursday

The Haunted Lamp has just posted their second installment of vintage neon illustrations from a rescued 1950s sign catalog.

Apparently, the catalog includes specifications for building each sign. As noted, "The giant chicken is to be executed in clear fiberglass and lit from within."

Anyone else ever discover such a catalog? I'd love to see it!

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The Night Was Sultry, and the Neon Inviting

June 5, 2009 | Friday

Check out these eerily beguiling images mined from a 1958 catalog on neon-sign design, which I spotted over at The Haunted Lamp.

As one visitor put it:

What happened to design? What happened to style? What happened?

Yeah, future ... let's hear it!

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Las Vegas Sign Achieves Historic Status

May 22, 2009 | Friday

Image by Flickr user Roadsidepictures.

The ever famous neon sign welcoming visitors to "Fabulous" Las Vegas, Nevada — perhaps the most famous Googie sign in the world — has just been accepted into the National Register of Historic Places.

The landmark sign, which has stood at the far south end of the Strip since 1959, is one of very few things in Vegas that hasn't changed in the past five decades. It was designed by graphic artist and Las Vegas native Betty Whitehead Willis, who also designed the city's Blue Angel Motel and Moulin Rouge Hotel signs.

The sign was inducted into the register on May 1, but the official announcement was made yesterday by Clark County officials, who also revealed the new plaque marking its designation.

The sign, which over the years has become a hot photo opportunity for tourists, was made safer in December of last year for visitors wishing to get their picture taken next to it. The city renovated the median on which it stands and added a 12-space parking lot. Before, visitors were forced to park in the street and run across traffic to get to the sign. ... Continued

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Sigel's Awesome Googie Sign Finds New Home

May 21, 2009 | Thursday

One of my favorite examples of Googie signage has always been the Sigel's Liquor sign that stood in front of store No. 7 here in Dallas. With its bubbly neon circles, jaunty font and shiny sputnik, it always gave me a smile when I'd pass by.

It had been on my to-photograph list for far too long when I got the word that store No. 7 was being razed, and the sign, which had stood at the corner of Inwood and Lemmon since 1953, was being removed. Of course, I raced right out to get some shots, but I was already too late. The liquor was gone, the store was a pile of rubble and the sign was nowhere to be seen.

Thankfully, Sigel's recognized the sign's importance and preserved it, hoping to move it to another of their stores in Addison. And the Addison City Council, thankfully, has voted to make a "meritorious exception" to their rule against neon signs, so the old orange-and-aqua beauty should be making smiles again soon.

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The TV That Laughed in the Face of Horizontal Hold

February 10, 2009 | Tuesday

Photo by BobDuCharme.

What do you get when you combine entertainment technology and German engineering in an age of outlandish Googie design? You get what is possibly the most awesome entertainment center ever conceived.

The Kuba Komet was manufactured between 1957 and 1961, and included a 21-inch television, record player, radio and eight speakers in a high-gloss, palm- and maple-wood cabinet. A remote control and integrated tape recorder could be had for an additional charge.

Plus, as long as the owner had the clearance, the Gumby-shaped portion could swivel to allow viewing from anywhere in the room.

Though surely none can compete with the singular style of the Komet, you can explore dozens more midcentury television sets at Television History - The First 75 Years.

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Googie Arrow (Kind of) Featured on Apartment Therapy

August 7, 2008 | Thursday

A few weeks ago, I announced my new obsession with creating Googie-inspired art pieces and the completion of #001, a slightly weathered, 3 1/2-foot metal arrow, complete with chasing lights, the likes of which you might still find pointing the way to a run-down, roadside motel.

Well, the arrow made it into the hands of Minnesota resident and appreciator of midcentury design Karl Madcharo, whose exact words upon receiving said pointing device were, "It looks sweet," after which he promised to send photos once he chose an appropriate place to hang it.

Well, lucky for us, he's done more than that and has submitted photos of his entire pad to Apartment Therapy's House Tours, so we can all burn with envy over his superbly decorated and swank living quarters.

And I have to say, I think his self-built front door beats the pants off my arrow.

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