OPEN POST: Peckerwood Road Trip through Neon Americana

Vegas Vicky 

Neon Roadtripping requires us to walk into the past, so everyone is required to wear something vintage from the years between 1920 and 1960, during the heyday of neon. Our cars will be 50s convertibles. Bring your hair scarves, sunglasses, and plenty of music because we, my dearest Peckerwoodies, are going to crisscross America, only stopping in diners and sleeping in motor lodges, on a trip through nostalgia, a different time, and some museums.

In 1898, two British chemists by the names of Sir William Ramsay and Morris William Travers were credited for discovering the four gases that would eventually be used to create neon signs: neon, krypton, xenon and argon. However, it would be French inventor and engineer Georges Claude who would be the first person to take their discovery a step further and create the first neon lamp, which he presented to the public at the Paris Motor Show in 1910 and received a U.S. patent in 1915. The technology spread across the United States, where businesses, from the 1920s to the 1960s, touted signs made with the "liquid fire."-Smithsonian

Pike's Place, Seattle Washington

Star Noodle Historic 25th Street, Ogden, Utah

We won't stay long, I promise. 

Elephant Super Car Wash, Seattle, Washington

I just liked this photo of Rockettes from yesteryear from LIFE magazine. 

May as well stop in Edmonton, Canada

American Sign Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio

Neon Museum, Vegas Baby

Seattle, Washington again. 

May as well stop in Vancouver, BC for their museum
Vancouver used to boast 19,000 neon signs now
a few paltry ones are hanging around. I say
we vandalize them, rip them off and run.

Radio City Music Hall, NYC, the former home of our showgirls above.

 

"There’s a nostalgia for vintage America, and people are attracted to that. You see people driving around in these 1950s trailers and older cars, so I think vintage Americana is one reason people are attracted to it. The other thing that’s going on is that they’re actually really beautiful, and the signage you’re seeing in America right now is pretty sterile and not very interesting, so people are attracted to the fact that these signs were basically a form of folk art".-John Barnes

Who knows where we will go next. It's a big world, I have a time travel machine and really cool housemates. We will see...

BTW, looking for Peckerwood's Weekly Lunocracy Post? It's RIGHT HERE.

photos:Flickr, Alamy, Vox, John Barnes