Vintage Neon (Schiffer Reference Book) [Hardcover]

Len Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Schiffer Reference Book | Publication Date: July 2007

During the middle of the 20th century, neon signs turned North America's roadside into a luminous wonderland. The most compelling signs were figural: imaginative, cartoon drawings in light. These unforgettable depictions of exploding bowling pins, crashing cars, baton twirling majorettes, and lassoing cowboys were the fodder for legend and lore. Neon designer Len Davidson has captured the magic with over 350 photos of superb vintage signs. He has drawn on renowned photographers, museums, and private collections, as well as his own Neon Museum of Philadelphia pieces to compile the definitive photo archive. Davidson has also expressed the legend in words. The pages echo with the voices of sign makers and shopkeepers, photographers and preservationists. Architects and sign artisans will find this collection invaluable. It is also an essential volume for anyone who has been captured by the spell of the highway and neon's siren song.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Len Davidson began collecting and restoring vintage neon signs in the mid-1970s, which led him to establish Davidson Neon Design, a custom sign business. In 1985, he founded the Neon Museum of Philadelphia to showcase his vast collection. Currently, Davidson lives with his wife, Judy, and son, Cory, in a house full of historic signs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764308572
• ISBN-13: 978-0764308574
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #806,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glowing Neon, January 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Vintage Neon (Schiffer Reference Book) (Hardcover)

Mr. Davidson's expertise in both the technical and artistic creation of neon is more spectacular than the lights themselves. Although expensive, this book is by far the most authoritative glimpse the craft and its appreciation than any other volume ever written. In the vernacular of the modern generation, it is 'tubular'. Almost every conceivable manner of neon is included; businesses include car showrooms, shoe stores, butcher shops, bakeries, motels, drive-ins (both theatrical and eatery), and in abundance, restaurants. Locations include many havens of neon distribution, such as the author's beloved Philadelphia, Route 66, California, and a much overlooked plethora of vivid glamour, Vancouver British Columbia (Canada). This volume is absolutely enchanting for anyone who has ever spent a night in a lodging illuminated on the exterior by a tint of pink, green, yellow, or blue. Of the 200 books in my personal 'Roadside Library', this is my favorite. Anyone who treasures illumination will consider "VINTAGE NEON" enlightening.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A dream-come-true book for lovers of nostalgic neon, September 5, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vintage Neon (Schiffer Reference Book) (Hardcover)

Len Davidson has done neon and nostalgia lovers a great big favor by compiling Vintage Neon, an eye-popping collection of over 360 classic neon signs. The photos are introduced by Davidson's captions, which in themselves are capsule stories of the signs, their history, discovery, recovery and (usually) preservation. Along the way Davidson recognizes the talents of the mom-and-pop signshop artisans who created this distinctively American folk art form.

Reading the book captures something of the excitement of neon treasure-hunters (like myself and many of you reading this!) who never go to a new town without scouting the "blue highways" and old Main Streets for the few remaining intact signs from the 30's though the 50's, particularly those figurative, sculptural pieces with pigs, cocktail glasses, flying horses, wigwams, bowling pins, majorettes, rocket ships, earth movers, cockroaches, dragons, etc. Davidson and his many contributors have felt that treasure-hunters "high" that comes with any new discovery, and you will have it, too, as you turn the pages. This makes Vintage Neon so much more than another pretty coffee-table book of color photos.

Davidson is well suited to this job. He is the founder, president and chief preservationist of the Philadelphia Museum of Neon, which finds vintage neon of note, restores and preserves it and then, instead of locking it up in some fussy museum, installs it in public spaces in and around Philly for all to see. He has amassed a great collection which his book now brings to a wider public.

The book is made all the more interesting in the telling of Davidson's own journey from MIT Sociology Ph.D., to organizational management consultant, to Roadside America treasure-hunter and neon museum director. This is the sub-text running through the book. It may sound trite to say, but here it is: Davidson's pursuit of the great roadside treasures led him to find his true life's work, and indeed, his fully-realized self.

His background in sociology serves him well here in his appreciation of the culture and aspirations of the signmakers of the era, a number of whom he has interviewed for the book. He explains the business and economic pressures that led the signmakers of the day to create these expressive, colorful, and fanciful public sculptures. It makes you stop and think about what has gone wrong with today's homogenized, corporate chainstore business climate that makes signs so boring, so predictable.

The book is organized around the photos arranged in categories, like "Legendary Logos," "Good Eats", "Moving Pictures," "It Came from Beneath the Sea", etc., 13 chapters in all. Each has a brief introduction, with the bulk of the text in the photo captions, some penned by Davidson but most of them quoting the contributor who found, photographed, or preserved the sign. The book becomes a collaboration with many voices, like the minutes of a great big nostalgic neon-lovers' annual convention.

The photos range from the good to the really great. They ae all color shots, many full-pagers. There are only a few images you have seen before in the other neon books, as those tend to concentrate more on very contemporary stuff, or on the Times Square and Las Vegas spectaculars. Some photos are of signs that are now gone or in private collections that you are unlikely to ever see. Quite a few involve highly detailed porcelain enamel finishes, sculptural steel boxes, and sequential neon animation.

I had to find fault with Vintage Neon, it would be the one chapter featuring the mass-produced neon clocks of the era. While interesting to look at, these have been seen before in the Rudy Stern book, and besides, because they are mass-produced, they lack the common thread of folk art with the balance of the material. A small complaint in comparison with all that is truly great about this book.

All you neon lovers and students of the disappearing American roadside out there are just going to love this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing collection of old signs., October 25, 1999

By 

Dave Waller (Malden Mass) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vintage Neon (Schiffer Reference Book) (Hardcover)

A tribute to the forgotten signmakers of the 1920's through the present. Lots of color pictures contributed by neon sign enthusiasts from around the country. Expensive, but if you like old signs, this book will make you happy.