Dodge

Dodge, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage Dodge neon sign, outside of a local dealership. This type of sign would usually have hung on the side of a building, probably at a downtown storefront dealership.

Moose

Moose, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A vintage Moose Lodge, with an equally vintage neon hanger. It's well faded but the glass is still nice and bright.

This building had a nice Vitrolite front too-I'm thought I'd shot it but I guess not.

Deliciously Different!

Deliciously Different!, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Created in 1866 by Detroit pharmacist James Vernor, Vernor's Ginger Ale is the oldest surviving ginger ale brand in the United States. After opening his own drugstore on Woodward Avenue, Vernor began selling bottling franchises for his popular drink, city by city. Primarily a regional drink (and it remains most popular in Michigan, northeastern Ohio, and Southern Ontario), Vernor's became a national brand in the 1980's. Although, now I think of it, it's still kind of hard to find!

This vintage Vernor's sign is on display in the Museum Of Science and Industry, in Chicago.

Redman's Yarn Emporium

Redman's Yarn Emporium, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A vintage, faded, partially painted over sign in downtown Streator, Illinois. I imagine this started out as a knitting store and ended up just being a dime store or something, judging from the faded paint covering up "YARN". The store was undergoing a remodel when I walked past, judging from the construction debris in the doorway.

Starved Rock Inn

Starved Rock Inn, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Characterized by it's canyons, Starved Rock State Park in Illinois is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state. In addition to the park's natural beauty, it's also a very important historical site, with several individual attractions being on the National Register of Historic Places. Archaeological digs have shown the area to have been inhabited as far back as 8000 BC.

The Catlow Theater

The Catlow Theater, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage neon at the Catlow Theater in Barrington, Illinois. Opened in 1927, this single screen gem also hosted stage shows, and still has most of its vintage charm. I believe this sign dates from the postwar period, probably the fifties. It has that look about it.

And, in a bright bit of news, until late last year, the Catlow was facing an uncertain future, due to the movie studios moving towards all-digital formats over old fashioned film. Upgrading costs typically go to about $100,000 per screen, something the Catlow's owners couldn't afford. Fortunately, a Kickstarter campaign raised the necessary funding, and this absolute gem of a theater can continue to serve the Barrington area (as evidenced by the fact that Skyfall is on the marquee!).

Around the Clock

Around the Clock, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage neon sign outside of a vintage restaurant in Crystal Lake, Illinois. I'm told this sign works pretty well, too, and looks great all lit up.

General Office Furniture

General Office Furniture sign #2-Chicago, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

From the archives, the former General Office Furniture location in Chicago. This was down on Milwaukee, near Grand if memory serves, and was hanging out front of a building that was clearly undergoing some rehab. When I saw the building the glass was out in the storefront, exposing a tin ceiling and some cast iron posts. I don't know if this sign is still hanging-I haven't been back in years.

I don't know much about the company, except that there's still a General Office Furniture listed in the city, over on Lake Street. I've often wondered if this sign was re-purposed from an old Chevrolet sign.

Tastee-Freez

Tastee-Freez-North Aurora, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Founded in the 1950's, Tastee-Freez originally focused just on ice cream products, but as the chain expanded so did the menu, moving into fast food items as well as the traditional cones and shakes. The chain eventually grew to over a thousand locations by the end of the 50's. Fewer than fifty are still around today.

This one was in North Aurora, Illinois, and was undergoing renovation when I shot this in 2009. The building was completely re-done, but I don't know if the restaurant actually opened up again-I never actually saw anyone inside it. The building's closed up again, and this sign, which was from the sixties, disappeared sometime in July or August 2012.

Nip 'N' Tote

Nip 'N' Tote, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Rudy's Liquors in Peru, Illinois. Pretty cool vintage sign, with a lot going on-stripes, bold colors, and chasers. It seems like it's in pretty good shape too, as it was turned on this bright sunny day.

Nip 'n' Tote seems backwards, though-surely you tote then nip?

Farmers' Elevator & Supply Co.

Farmers' Elevator & Supply Co., a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A couple of grain elevators in Morrison, Illinois, a town near the Iowa border and right along the Lincoln Highway.

Cheer Up

Cheer Up, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Made by the Orange Smile Syrup Company of St. Louis, Cheer Up was one of the innumerable locally bottled soft drinks that were around in the 1930's. I would wager that this sign is from about then, maybe immediately post war. I found it on the wall of an old building on the west side of Aurora, Illinois that I believe was a corner grocery at one time.

As always, it pays to get out of the car and wander around.

Enjoy Sprite!

Enjoy Sprite!, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Of all the pop brands out there, the one you usually see being used as a store sign somewhere is Coke, followed by Pepsi. Other things show up, but are few and far between compared to the Big Two. This one's a sixties Sprite sign, advertising a grocery store in Rockford, Illinois. I've only ever seen one of these old Sprite signs, up north near Wisconsin, perched on top of an old gas station in the middle of nowhere.

I think it's pretty cool, especially with the stars in the middle section, and it's in fantastic shape.

Rockford Mattress Co.

Rockford Mattress Co., a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A very old, very weathered, de-neon'd neon sign in midtown Rockford. The whole neighborhood is a bit of a rundown faded timewarp-lots of little storefronts and buildings with old bones. Two separate painted signs for Coca Cola and one for Bull Durham Tobacco. And this.

There appears to still be a furniture store in this building, although it wasn't open at the time. I'm surprised they continue to use this old sign. I'd love to have it-I'd paint one side up all shiny and new, and keep the other in it's current state of decay. All new glass, of course.

I also wonder how it got that dent in the side.

Pokagon Pop

Pokagon, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

An old, and kind of rare, Pokagon Pop bottle I found at the flea market. Bottled in Angola, Indiana, Pokagon was a regional favorite for many years, and came in all sorts of flavors. Named after the Potawatomi chief who befriended area settlers, Pokagon was bottled between 1925-ish and the 1970's. I don't think I ever had any-we seldom traveled to northwest Indiana and I may have not been born when it went out of production. I'm told it was very good, though.

I shoulda bought this bottle, too.

GE Appliances

GE Appliances, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A vintage GE neon sign, in the window of an appliance store in Morrison, Illinois. This is a classic hanging sign, and is still in great shape despite years of being out in the weather.

What'll Ya Have?

IMG_0330, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage Pabst Blue Ribbon beer sign. It's hung on the side of a former liquor store or bar (I think it was a restaurant, as it has a drive up window too) in Rochelle, Illinois. It's an antique store now, but this old sign is hanging in there.

Shot with Hipstamatic, with a side trip through the Lo-Mob app for extra texture.

Old Second National Bank

Old Second Nat'l Bank, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Excellent stained glass clock, outside the Old Second National Bank building in Aurora, Illinois. It works, and is illuminated too.

Dairy Sweet

Dairy Sweet, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

I can't find any info about Dairy Sweet, other than it seems to be a Midwestern ice cream shop chain, and the few that are still around are in pretty small, rural towns. Other than that, I've got nothin'.

This one is in the town of Ohio, Illinois, and is currently closed.

The Big 1

The Big 1, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Originally brewed right here in Chicago by the Peter Hand Brewing Company, Meister Brau was a pretty popular brew in the city and suburbs. Meister Brau also released the first mainstream reduced calorie beer, Meister Brau Lite, which, when Miller took over Peter Hand, became what we now know as Miller Lite.

I don't think I've ever actually had a Meister Brau-I think it had gone out of production by the time I was old enough to buy my own beer. I still have a fondness for it, if only because of their sponsorship of Harry Heuer's sports car racing team back in the sixties. And, Fun Fact! Meister Brau is the favored brew of Cousin Eddie from the Vacation films.

I found this relic in the back of a little bar in downtown Hampshire, Illinois, facing the alley. It looks pretty beat up, and I wonder if it still lights up.