Hectic and hot (90s) today. But Sparkle is running fantastic and the A/C is keeping us icebox cool. A full day of sun!! The dogs got some romps in Lake Erie — and managed to find some dead fish. Luckily, only Grem actually rolled on the fish — and she spent enough time in the water afterwards that the smell is mostly gone.
I got through my Ohio list which puts me slightly ahead of schedule. Which I’m gonna need I think since I just glanced at the Illinois packet. Even without Chicago proper in this batch, it’s probably at least two days worth of stuff. Just a few stops in Indiana tomorrow and I’ll get to work. Landed late here in South Bend and it’s already 1am after dealing with emails and such. Glad I got a decent night’s sleep last night.
Let’s start with this Malley’s Chocolates sign in North Olmsted — looks like it was a “spinner”:
And on to Cleveland — this sign’s been recently restored — here’s a shot from 2009:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10707024@N04/3612190884/
Now lots of protective plastic to protect the neon:
The Steve’s Lunch sign could use some re-habbing — though the neon still seems to be working:
So much to love here. Pink is an unusual color choice for an auto-related business, no?
Stunning:
I finally got to shoot the Whippy’s sign. Apparently, the artist’s intent was for the boy to point at the ice cream — but it sure looks like he’s flipping off potential customers:
A beautiful ghost sign in Oberlin. I have no idea what motel it advertised for originally:
Also in Oberlin — here’s a vintage view of this one when it was still on the pole and had more text:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellmutt/4679221470/
and it looks like it was the Bee-Vin before that:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/bonanzleimages/afu/images/5529/9961/beevinmotel.jpg
On to Sandusky — this trio is located at the Best Budget Inn:
Also Sandusky:
In Toledo — I always passed on shooting this one because I thought it was probably modern. But now I’m not so sure — and the sign has grown on me. It’s triangulated (with three panels) so it’s visible from just everywhere:
And lastly, let’s pay tribute to Swan Cleaners in Port Clinton — and just as importantly — the business that kept the signs and facade (yup, that’s peachy vitrolite):
2 am — not bad! I’ll meet up with you tomorrow in Illinois. Night….
Thrilled to see you’re back on the road! And I agree, that ghostsign in Oberlin is a mystery, but really gorgeous in its own way – like a sculpture!
Definitely sculptural. And the sun helps.
That WHIPPY’S sign is a PANIC! I couldn’t stop laughing. I started laughing the instant I saw it, I hadn’t even read the text yet. So classic!
Glad you got some laughs out of it. It is truly amazing.
Whippy is a bad, bad boy.
I hafta wonder if there were other signs like this. And if that finger got repainted at some point more “clumsily”.
you’ve got some really nice photography in this leg. Kleins auto, Whippy, Swan, Steve’s lunch and that Oberlin ghost
Thanks! Hopefully, sunny (and trouble-free) days ahead. Right now monsoon-ing in Chicagoland.
Oh, that first sign in Oberlin is simply gorgeous—paintless or no. What a find!
Glad you’re enjoying the photos. Hundreds more to come — if these mechanics ever figure out what they’re doing!
The Malleys reminds me of a Carousel dry cleaners.Not sure if it was a chain
Do you have a photo of their sign(s)? Malley’s has been around since 1935. I’d think most likely their sign.
Have a poor photo out of a telephone directory.need to scan it