Vintage neon signs

[dh66]

That thing is awesome, Dale! Did the rotosphere survive, or did it get sent to China to become wrenches?

I don't know wheee it ended up, Harv. I sure hope somebody at least took it home and stuck it in the garage.

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

 

[Matt Crunk]

Here's a shot I took Christmas night of the Sanitary Diner in downtown Indianapolis. For more photos on the place, including interior shots, see my recent post in the Vintage Roadside thread.

 

[dh66]

Nice!

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

 

[1mach1]

Frost Cafe, Culpepper Va.

 

[1mach1]

Old Town Hyattsville, MD

 

[MikeKardec]

Here's a shot I took Christmas night of the Sanitary Diner in downtown Indianapolis. For more photos on the place, including interior shots, see my recent post in the Vintage Roadside thread.

Seriously. I'm about to pass out laughing at the name of this place!

 

[Matt Crunk]

Seriously. I'm about to pass out laughing at the name of this place!

Sounds quite unusual today, but from what I understand it was a very popular moniker for food establishments and food products back in the 30s and 40s.

 

[tonyb]

Sounds quite unusual today, but from what I understand it was a very popular moniker for food establishments and food products back in the 30s and 40s.

Indeed it was. Among the structures in Seattle's Pike Place Public Market district is one called the Sanitary Market Building.

 

[Fading Fast]

In this country, at the turn of the century and for the first several decades there was a philosophy toward public health called the Sanitary Movement (started in mid-1800s in England) that focused on removing dirt, filth, etc. from public (and private) buildings to fight diseases / the spreading of diseases.

I am not an expert or anything close to one, but in working on finding original tile designs for our 1928 bathroom, we learned that it had originally been done in a "Sanitary Movement" style where the tiles were installed in a way that left no sharp edges or nooks or crannies where dirts, disease, etc. could accumulate. If you go into the still-original (or mainly original, especially the tile) bathroom of some pre-WWII buildings today, you'll see that the tile is very smooth and continuous with rounded corners and no sharp ends or gaps.

Anyway, far from an expert, but it seems based on my inside out research, that the Sanitary Movement was a well-publicized public health movement that probably inspired the names of the diner and market you reference above.

 

[1mach1]

Now a historic landmark in Richmond, VA.

 

[dh66]

Glad to know that one's got landmark status. That's the kind of coolness developers and municipal planners seem to frown on these days.

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

 

[Bamaboots]

Glad to know that one's got landmark status. That's the kind of coolness developers and municipal planners seem to frown on these days.

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

Probably wouldn't pass a current sign ordinance.

 

[dh66]

Probably wouldn't pass a current sign ordinance.

Definitely wouldn't, and around here in certain neighborhoods they're all too quick to push to make those ordinances retro-active.

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

 

[1mach1]

Glad to know that one's got landmark status. That's the kind of coolness developers and municipal planners seem to frown on these days.

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

Ain't that the truth

 

[Bamaboots]

Definitely wouldn't, and around here in certain neighborhoods they're all too quick to push to make those ordinances retro-active.

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

Yeah, but the billboard lobby must be strong and it wasn't that long ago we were covered up with the portable signs that seemingly, every commercial enterprise displayed. Those were always a hoot during stormy weather.

 

[kaiser]

In this country, at the turn of the century and for the first several decades there was a philosophy toward public health called the Sanitary Movement (started in mid-1800s in England) that focused on removing dirt, filth, etc. from public (and private) buildings to fight diseases / the spreading of diseases.

I am not an expert or anything close to one, but in working on finding original tile designs for our 1928 bathroom, we learned that it had originally been done in a "Sanitary Movement" style where the tiles were installed in a way that left no sharp edges or nooks or crannies where dirts, disease, etc. could accumulate. If you go into the still-original (or mainly original, especially the tile) bathroom of some pre-WWII buildings today, you'll see that the tile is very smooth and continuous with rounded corners and no sharp ends or gaps.

Anyway, far from an expert, but it seems based on my inside out research, that the Sanitary Movement was a well-publicized public health movement that probably inspired the names of the diner and market you reference above.

I lived in a house in Bucyrus Ohio year ago that was built in 1925. The main bathroom was entirely original and had tiles as you describe. There was some tile work left in the kitchen that was the same as well. Good to know after all these years what the reason was behind the tiles other than just high quality for the period. Thanks for the information Fading Fast !

 

[Fading Fast]

I lived in a house in Bucyrus Ohio year ago that was built in 1925. The main bathroom was entirely original and had tiles as you describe. There was some tile work left in the kitchen that was the same as well. Good to know after all these years what the reason was behind the tiles other than just high quality for the period. Thanks for the information Fading Fast !

I'm so glad to have given you that info. If you have any from when you owned the house, and feel like it, it would be great to see photos of the tile work. We are renovating a 1928 apartment and both the bathroom and kitchen will have "Sanitary Movement" tile work. We feel like we are giving the apartment back its heritage, its soul as the one still original bathroom has Sanitary Movement tile.

 

[Blackthorn]

Pic taken in San Francisco, if memory serves on Geary Blvd:

 

[1mach1]

Awesome, Blackthorne!

This is in Montgomery Co, Maryland. Not too far North of DC. The bowling alley and arcade was closed in 2003. Did an estimate for new doors here today.

 

[Blackthorn]

Very nice, 1mach1!