Day 3: Salt Lake City and Thereabouts

I’m ridiculously behind in my blog and Flickr homework at this point. I just finished the shooting for on Day 7 and the dogs and I are in Boise, ID for the night. We’re way ahead of schedule and I’m almost hoping for a crappy weather day so I can get some sleep and catch up with things. But the forecast for tomorrow is more wonderful sun.

Let me see what I can accomplish tonight then. I just had a Starbucks Grande and that should keep me up til 2am. Coffee is my wonder drug — reserved for special and dire occasions.

Back in Utah — seems like ages already. This was in Elberta — way off the beaten track. I think it was probably a Sinclair gas station but I wouldn’t bet a week’s pay on it. It could have been someone’s nostalgic project with replica pumps, etc. — maybe even done in the 1980s and then faded into believability by now:

From Orem — mid-century quonset hut? Does anyone know what was here originally?

From Lehi — the Broadbent’s Quilt Shop — still in biz:

This sign is at Ace Vacuum World in Midvale. I had a long chat with the owner and hopefully persuaded him to keep the sign and not to sell it:

From Magna — another painted advert alley sign. Pretty sure it’s vintage — not a recreation:

On to Salt Lake City for the rest of this blog post. This strange dome is attached to a normal looking building which now houses Ditta Caffe at 1560 East 3300 South. Possible greenhouse but from the tube-like tunnel connecting it at the left to the restaurant, I doubt it:

A former House of Pies — see the bottom of my page here for info & photos:
http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/ca8.html

A rare “spinner sign” (as far as I know, there’s no official name). The two arms spun in opposite directions. Here’s a video of one that I shot in New Jersey:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/5541804390/

Dirk’s opened in 1966 — this giant rooftop sign must be from then:

I have no idea what business was here originally — but I’m glad to see this sign still dramatically in use:

I can’t think of any other sign anywhere that combines a faux wooden fence and an amoeba shape:

This has got to be one of the oldest signs in SLC. The place opened in 1929 and I believe the sign is from then.

There’s a sign shop tag on the side of sign cabinet for YESCO which is still one of the biggest companies out West (Utah, Idaho, Nevada, etc.) Most of these tags have been painted over:

The panels are made from ripple tin — which held paint better, rusted less, and enabled the sign shop to use a thinner & lighter material than the standard solid steel panels: