American Sign Museum
2515 Essex Place
Cincinnati, Ohio 45206
(800) 925-1110
(513) 258-4020, ext. 336
Fax: (513) 421-5144
E-mail: tod@signmuseum.org
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The National Heritage Museum Presents New England Neon
The sizzle of electricity, the clack of flashing lights, and
colors that "outshine the sunshine" — it's "New England Neon,"
on view at the National Heritage Museum, April 12 through September
14, 2003. Born of a marriage between advertising and science, neon
signs have enlivened New England streets. "New England Neon," will
feature over twenty neon signs from the 1920s through the 1970s
— some as long as 18 feet and as high as 12 feet — as
well as materials related to how the signs were made and sold. The
exhibition will introduce visitors to the colorful history of neon
signs, from the heady days of their first introduction to Boston
byways to the boom times of the late 1940s and 1950s, when
businessmen across the region advertised with bright and distinctive
beacons of commerce.
"New England Neon" is drawn from the local collection of Dave and
Lynn Waller. The signs on view represent more than 30 years of
collecting. Digging in dumpsters, dangerous crane work, and
scrounging for scraps are some of the ways the Wallers collected the
pieces on display. Driven by an abiding interest in antique neon, the
Wallers have devoted time and energy to gathering and preserving huge
metal and glass signs that many might shy away from. "Sometimes trash
is treasure," said Dave Waller, "and I have actually pulled a number
of signs right out the dump. But these are important relics of a
bygone age, and I think worth preserving. It often happens when
someone sees our collection, an old sign invokes a memory that was
long forgotten. They have magic."
The brilliant colors and animated rocket ship of the "Flying
Yankee Restaurant" sign will add sparkle to the Museum's exterior
during the show. Some memorable signs on view include a version of
Howard Johnson's neon Simple Simon and the Pieman that served as a
"Landmark for Hungry Americans," and the sign from the North End's
long-established European Restaurant.
The National Heritage Museum is dedicated to presenting
exhibitions on a wide variety of topics in American history and
popular culture. The Museum is supported by the Scottish Rite
Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States.
The National Heritage Museum is located at 33 Marrett Road in
Lexington, MA, at the corner of Route 2A and Massachusetts Avenue.
Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and
Sunday, noon - 5p.m. Admission and parking are free. Heritage
Shop and Heritage Café on site. For further information
contact the Museum at (781) 861-6559 or visit the website at
www.monh.org.
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