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Historic Houston Neon Signs


NenaE

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Link to neon (old & new): http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?w=673...ston&m=pool

This search left me with questions:

Included in this nice photo collection are several signs I would like to know more about:

The Continental Club sign - the sign looks very old, but search articles talk of a new nightclub...what's the history?

3th ward sign - what business was it?

and just if you are interested - there is a nice orange neon sign from the Sears on Shepherd, and the burger chef man sign.

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The Continental Club sign - the sign looks very old, but search articles talk of a new nightclub...what's the history?

Nena - Houston's Continental Club has been around a while, but is not what I'd call old. But it's related to Austin's Continental Club, which is old (1957). The Houston club is run and staffed by some pretty cool people. They book out-of-town bands, but also have local cover bands with weekly shows. Beetle (a Beatles cover band) plays for happy hour on Thursday nights, and Molly & the Ringwalds (80's) plays for happy hour on Friday nights. I was just looking at their calendar and saw that the Allen Oldies Band ('50's & '60's covers) is playing this Sunday night at Continental's sister bar - Big Top - a few doors down. If any of that sounds like your kind of thing, you should go by sometime - that little block of businesses (Continental, Sig's, Tacos-a-Go-Go, Big Top, and the Mink) is sandwiched between the Ensemble light rail stop and the corner of Main and Alabama, and was the subject of a column in this week's Press.

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What colors were the old North Main Theater sign? I know the vertical stripes over the windows were red and black. Was it animated?

3199978009_83af90042e_m.jpg

Looked in the Cinema Houston book, but haven't found an answer, address was 3730 North Main...says the marquee was replaced in the 1970's when it switched to Spanish films. In 1993, had a a "painted-over marquee". How sad... :( .

Also looked under Bob Bailey Collection/ Theaters/ other ...no night shots to tell if illuminated. (but, as usual, there were some interesting pics.)

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  • 5 years later...

I was always fascinated by this sign. It scared me, reminded me of a James Bond torture device. Little did I know, as a young child, it was a microscope. Had an ominous, colorful, blinking display. It was located right before Hwy 288, on OST. The building is a nice 1960's design, for a mere car repair shop (pre-Micro-Club). Had a nice planter box on the front, brick facade, and two covered carports, one on each side, at one time. 


 


First photo source: Houston: an architectural guide (AIA) 


post-5666-0-00510700-1402255247_thumb.jp

post-5666-0-44017900-1402255281_thumb.jp

post-5666-0-50615300-1402255331_thumb.jp

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I have been looking for a picture of this sign for a very long time, and almost can't believe I finally found one. About the only thing better would be a video (the sign lit up sequentially as the rocket blasted off). 

 

This was located on the Gulf Freeway, and was always a prominent landmark on trips to Galveston.

 

BillMcDavidOldsSignNightGulfFrwyHoustonT

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You know, Dallas saw fit to save this:

NG_16PEGASUS2_3602587.jpg

 

 

And Portland Oregon made a local symbol by preserving this:

portland-oregon-sign-5d0img69680-s.jpg

 

 

So why couldn't Houston have done the same with Holder's sign?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mkultra, you never cease to amaze. The Bill McDavid Olds sign! Where on earth did you find that??

If you've got one of the old Sam Montgomery "Rocket City" Oldsmobile sign from the other end of 45, you will forever become the "King of the Haifers" in my eyes.

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Mkultra, you never cease to amaze. The Bill McDavid Olds sign! Where on earth did you find that??

If you've got one of the old Sam Montgomery "Rocket City" Oldsmobile sign from the other end of 45, you will forever become the "King of the Haifers" in my eyes.

 

I've occasionally googled "Bill McDavid Oldsmobile" over the years, in hopes of finding a picture. Never hit paydirt until now - I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw it. 

 

I did the same thing for Sam Montgomery shortly thereafter, hoping that lightning would strike twice, but alas, it was not to be. But hope springs eternal...

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I remember the rocket sign on the Gulf Freeway and the jingle for Tommie Vaughn Ford. It's fitting that the first signs in the U.S. were  for a car dealership in Los Angeles..."Packard". 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Does anyone remember a neon sign that was a big loaf of bread, perpetually being sliced? It advertized Fair-made Bread (which was later re-named Rainbow Bread). The huge, moving  bread loaf was atop a building, near the South Main Sears--possibly actually on top of Sears. This memory is from the mid-1950s or even earlier. It's a crisp, clear, very early childhood memory. But when I'm near the Main Street Sears I remember it, start wondering if it was on Sears or on a nearby building, and start wondering if anybody but me remembers it. Does anybody?

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Does anyone remember a neon sign that was a big loaf of bread, perpetually being sliced? It advertized Fair-made Bread (which was later re-named Rainbow Bread). The huge, moving  bread loaf was atop a building, near the South Main Sears--possibly actually on top of Sears. This memory is from the mid-1950s or even earlier. It's a crisp, clear, very early childhood memory. But when I'm near the Main Street Sears I remember it, start wondering if it was on Sears or on a nearby building, and start wondering if anybody but me remembers it. Does anybody?

 

Is this it?

 

fair-maid-006.jpg?w=450&h=308

 

According to this page, it was on top of the Fair Maid Bakery at Leeland and Cullen. 

 

https://bill37mccurdy.wordpress.com/tag/houston-buffs/page/8/

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We went to that Sears very often when we came to town and I don't remember the sign at all.  However, it would have been very unusual for us to be there after dark.

 

Beyond that I have been trying for days to remember Fair-Maid bread and can't.  Perhaps it wasn't distributed where I grew up (Lake Jackson) or maybe my mother just never bought it.

 

The breads I remember from the 40s and 50s were Schott's Holsum bread and Mrs. Baird's. 

 

Edited to keep from hi-jacking the thread.

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The only sign that I can ever remember on top of the South Main Sears is the same one that's still there. I don't know if the neon still lights up, but it used to have the "Sears" name illuminated in red neon, with a smaller "Open 'til 9" neon flashing beneath it. No sliced bread sign that I ever recall on top of the store.

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On top of Bank of the Southwest, I not only remember the large revolving sign but also the infamous weather ball. There used to be jingle that was played o the radio that explained what the different colors indicated. The only part of the jingle I remember is the Last few words of it. "Blinking light, rain is due".

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And wasn't there a jack-o-lantern-like Gulf Oil sign on top of the Gulf Building (now the J.P. Morgan Chase building on Main Street, I think) long ago? Yes, there was;  it's coming back to me! My mother used to say that it messed up the beautiful sky-line of Houston.  At age six I didn't mind it.

 

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There have been several discussions of the Gulf lollipop with pictures posted in this forum. 

 

The weather ball was atop the Continental Oil/Conoco building on Main, also discussed before with pictures in this forum. 

 

Bank of the Southwest had it's name in big letters on two faces of the building, not on top.  There are probably pictures in this forum, also.

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Those neon signs really took on another life at night. Today's signs just aren't the same. The illusion of moving parts was very captivating. I always wondered as a kid, how they did that...for example, the ever popular (red and yellow) arrow,  with perfectly timed, consecutive blinking lights, simulating motion. 

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There have been several discussions of the Gulf lollipop with pictures posted in this forum.

The weather ball was atop the Continental Oil/Conoco building on Main, also discussed before with pictures in this forum.

Bank of the Southwest had it's name in big letters on two faces of the building, not on top. There are probably pictures in this forum, also.

Your correct, the weather ball was on the Conoco building, I think my mind is beginning to slip.

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