Light the Lights
You can experience the fun of the a roadtrip, the nostalgia of a classic Main Street, and the thrill of thousands of blinking lights without ever leaving the city.
The American Sign Museum, 1330 Monmouth Ave., is devoted to displaying more than 100 years of signage. Opened in Camp Washington in 2012, the museum is now doubling its size, opening a 20,000-sq.-ft. expansion on Saturday, July 13.
The grand re-opening kicks off with a ribbon-cutting on Friday, July 12, and activities throughout the weekend.
Highlights of the expansion include
loka Theatre marquee – The Ioka Theater, a landmark in Exeter, N.H., opened in 1915. The only marquee in the ASM’s collection, the sign will mark a new theater space in the museum, which will be used to screen videos about the collection as well as for meetings and events.
The Ward’s Butter Bread sign – During demolition of a Chicago building, the original façade – hidden for more than 70 years – featuring three hand-painted advertisements was discovered. The signs, protected from the elements, were in good condition with the Ward’s Butter Bread one found to be the work of Jack Briggs, founder of the Beverly Sign Company which inspired the sign industry in the 1950s and ‘60s.
Johnny’s Big Red Grill – Tallest sign in the new wing at 21.5 feet, from Ithaca, N.Y.
G & J Tire – Oldest sign in new wing, circa 1927, from Buffalo, N.Y.
36 sign painters from across the United States and Canada created the hand-painted signs in the expanded Main Street
·Last week, if was announced that Neonworks, a longtime partner and resident of ASM, officially merged with the museum. One of the only neon shops in the region, this partnership with Neonworks creates new opportunities for programs and eduction on neon and glass bending.
The American Sign Museum promotes sign preservation and restoration by displaying over 100 years of signage. The Museum's permanent collection contains more than 4,000 objects, including more than 800 signs, 1,500 photographs, 175 artworks, 300 tools, equipment and supply materials, in addition to countless ephemera and other sign-related artifacts.