Baltimore Sign Garden

The Cosy Tourist Inn...Cosy..that's with a 's'!...This old ghost just let time pass her by at 7400 block Belair Rd. in Baltimore.  It came from the early days of automobile travel. Bygone days and bypassed signs.

Just imagine how many a weary traveler on the old Route 1 was lurred in by the warm welcoming name and the soft glow of this stylish 1930's light. Fabricator unknown.

This late 1950's Flashing arrow neon artwork lured generations to Mr. G's Twin-Kiss Drive In. Located on Rt. 40 west and Johnnycake Rd. in Catonsville. This 'secondary' sign, shown in the 1970s in this photo, was built by Belsinger and removed in 1995 for road widening. Mr. G's 'Fast Lane' continues to serve in a new buiding on the site of the original one destroyed in a 2005 fire.

One of my first sign rescues was Paul Bros. Cleaners, at the south foot of the Hanover Street bridge. Long vacant in 1989, the building was altered in 2000 for retail use. The pink and turqoise letters were underlined in flashing red arrows. Built by Claude Neon Signs in the mid 1950's.

Preparing to remove the porcelain neon letters from the second of the two last remaining S. Hikens in 2002.This was the Highlandtown store, Eastern and Highland Ave. In tow is the red neon swinger from our first S. Hiken stop that day, at Baltimore and Broadway. Mr. Hiken, then 84, told me the red swinger cost $1400.00 in 1954. Triange Signs built the S. Hiken displays. Bottom photo shows the letters as displayed in the collection. Mr. Hiken passed away in 2009.

This early example of a backlit fluorescent sign was located on St. Helena Ave. near Dundalk Ave., in Dundalk.From the mid 1950's, The owner said the appliance store was in business several decades. He allowed me to remove it as a church prepared to set up in the old commercial space. Mass produced by Neon Products, Inc., Lima, Ohio.