Window Shopping

Window Shopping, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A funky antique shop in Rochelle, Illinois, that used to be in a bar or restaurant. At least, I think it was a restaurant, because the disused drive up window is still on one side. It's been unused for a real long time, though, because there's no outlet anymore-buildings have been put up since.

Anyway, I liked the packaging on these old trains, and I would love to take better shots of them from the other side of the window. I also like the car reflection-it turned out well.

Steele Jewelry

Stele Jewelry, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage vacuformed sign in Mendota, Illinois. I used to ignore these plastic fantastics, in my quest for fun vintage Googie-tastic neon slabs, or fadetastic ghosts painted on walls, but the more I see them the more I like them. They've often got cool graphics and genuine character, and they're often in better shape than old neon.

I shall continue to search them out.

Pontiac Sports

Pontiac Sports, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Pontiac Sports, a sporting goods shop in Pontiac, Illinois, a town along historic Route 66.

I believe this sign has been rebuilt at some point-there are some stray outlets dotted around it.

Corner

Corner, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

TtV Tuesday! We're back in Dixon at the Walter C. Knack company's building. Actually, we're kitty corner to it. I like the way this turned out, very retro, despite the modern sign on the lamppost and the newish blurry car parked there.

Amazingly (to me, at least) hardly anyone drove by while I was shooting this. Dixon is truly quiet on a Sunday afternoon.

Al's Smoke Shop

It's often pretty slim pickin's in the suburbs, at least as far as old neon signs go. At least here in the Chicago area, a lot of the towns further out have shined and buffed their downtowns into sort of old-timey Rockwellian Main Streets, with older buildings restored to a time right around the change to electric street lights, but before illuminated advertising. Between that and the number of old businesses that are long gone, the old-school hanging neon sign is a bit of a rare bird these days. Which is why I was so pleased to find this one in Villa Park. The sign ain't anything really special-brown and white, with white tubes-but the fact that Al's is still in business, and still uses their vintage sign, makes me happy. It's a nice time warp.

You can tell this building is pretty old, too. I didn't notice the builder's name ("Clarke") above the door. I like details like that, and would probably still call it the "Clarke Building".

Apropos of nothing (okay, something!), if you like what you've been seeing on this site, our chief lensman (okay, it's me) has a website! Cool images like the ones you've been enjoying, some you've seen, some surprises, all awesome and available to purchase, to bring a little of the View. Found. fun to your walls!