From the SCA Journal Sign Lines articles “companion pages” at my site, here are some of the noteworthy discoveries.

This vintage Krispy Kreme sign in Akron, OH must have been from the 1950s.  If there were others like it, none are left now.  My photo from 2009:

Around 2013, the sign was replaced with a modern version.  I wish they had stayed closer to the original — I hate those channel letters!   And those perfectly circular donuts have none of the character as the original, irregular neon and hand-painted originals.  But, yeah, it could have been a plastic box.  From Google Street View:

Here’s a closeup at Flickr [credit to Rick]:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26731037@N07/23000853665/

Yet another Krispy Kreme heartbreaker — the company replaced the Hampton, VA location with a boring box style building and this rare, rooftop 1960s beauty is gone.  At least the ones in Chattanooga, Gainesville, and Atlanta remain and are in intact.  The one in Spartanburg has been painted over and the one in Albany, GA has been altered with the company’s newer logo.  My photo of the Hampton crown sign — now in sign heaven — from 2007.  Yes, the oval part of the sign revolved originally:

Moving on to another donut chain:  Shipley Do-Nuts.  The North Little Rock location got a little makeover sometime after last summer.  My photo from 2008:

And courtesy of Google Street View — the building and sign were repainted.  Unfortunately, the neon is gone now but at least the original shapes are all still there:

The Shipley Donuts in Tupelo, MS location became Scarlet’s Donuts in 2015.  My photo from 2010:

The adapted sign from Google Street View:

There are still loads of surviving donut signs.  I’ve got six pages of them at my website here:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/donuts.html

These two opal glass letter signs in Beaumont, TX are gone now — my photos from 2011:

Miraculously, still a good number of these signs from the 1920s/1930s out there still:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/opal.html

This sign in Selma, AL is gone now.  My photo from 2010.  The restaurant closed in 2012.   The sign was still there in 2014.  I hope it was saved:

But the good news is — there’s still lots of other pancake signs out there:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/pancakes.html

Another horrible surprise and loss.  This sign in Albuquerque disappeared this year at Google Street View.  The company had moved to a new location in 2001.  They couldn’t bring it and install it at the new place due to sign regulations.  I sure hope it was saved by somebody.  I’m going to call them on Monday to see what happened.  My photo from 2008:

More plumbing signs here:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/plumbing.html

Let’s end this post on a positive note.  If you haven’t heard, the Roto-Sphere in Memphis at Joe’s Liquors was removed in June.  It was completely restored and reinstalled in August.  Here’s my photo from 2010:

My page about these signs here:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/roto.html

Back very soon with another post.

dj