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About Vintage Neon Signs

Neon signs are frequently employed to attract attention to storefronts and businesses. While more popularly associated with mid-twentieth-century America, the signs originated in France during the second decade of the twentieth century.

Invention
- Georges Claude, a french chemist, invented neon signs.
  
  Georges Claude, a French chemist, is credited as the originator of the neon sign. The invention publicly debuted on December 11, 1910.
Process
- Glass tubes are formed into letters and shapes.
  
  The illuminated signs are constructed with glass tubes bent to desired shape. Only the tubes that produce red hues contain neon. Secondary colors such as gold and green are created through the use of argon or mercury.
Importation
- The first neon sign in America advertised Packard.
  
  The earliest neon signs within the United States date to the 1920s. The first sign advertised a Los Angeles Packard automobile dealership in 1922.
Popularity
- Neon sign popularity peaked in the 1950s and 1960s.
  
  Demand for signs crested in the 1950s and 1960s. Flashing neon was perceived to distract drivers and cause accidents. The signs were replaced with low maintenance and economical backlit signs.
Collecting
- Collectors preserve neon signs.
  
  As the popularity of neon signs faded, a collector's market was created.
Modern Signs
- Modern signs consist of channel letters.
  
  Modern neon signs most commonly consist of cathode tubes shaped into adjoining letters, or channel letters.

Antiques