Everything in this post is from Chicago. There are a few Weber Grill restaurants in Illinois and Indiana including this one right downtown:

The very famous pair of lions in front of the Art Institute:

One of a few former Studebaker dealerships in town:

This programmatic facade with a Rolls-Royce grill & statue on top, headlights, bumper, and tires was built as a garage in 1986:

A former Woolworth department store:

A detail from the Veseman Building:

The corner clock at the former C.D. Peacock jewelry store:

The Father Time clock with opal glass “TIME” letters:

This building with the terra cotta eagles was demolished. However, the 2nd story facade with the eagles was carefully removed and reinstalled on this building constructed at the same site:

The St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church built from 1975-1977:

The Essex Inn was built in 1961. This is either the original scaffold sign or a replica of it:

This Golden Nugget Restaurant sign was adapted by tacking the small “APPLE” panel over the “NUGGET” text and adding a little neon:

I’ve tried my best to get the history of this one to no avail. I suspect it was a repurposed sign since Podlasie didn’t open until 1986:

The Erie Cafe opened in 1994 and this sign was built then:

The Stop & Drink vintage sign was fortunately kept with the Clark Street Ale House took over the space:

I believe these signs were installed in 1946. The bakery closed in 2022 but the signs remain (and the space is still vacant):

I believe this Pequod’s Pizza location opened in 1992. The chain’s mascot is a sperm whale with a pair of women’s underwear on its head:

This business was stablished in 1910 and is still operating. The sign appears to be from the 1950s:

Let’s close with what’s always been one of my Chicago favorites. The sign is about 40 feet tall and the business is long gone:

There will be even more Chicago area in the next post. And then we move on (finally) to Indiana after that.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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Here’s a little break from all those Midwest photos. A couple weeks ago, I took a little 4-day trip to Central CA & Bay Area for the annual NeonSpeaks Festival & Symposium in San Francisco. I usually only attend the main event day for that and justify the gas money with a bunch of photo-taking on the way and in the area. I just finished adding those photos to my website. So, here are some that you’ll find there (or don’t rate inclusion there).

A giant clog in front of a shoe store in Solvang:

This sea otter and octopus are at a tiny playground in Morro Bay:

Supposedly, a former Sprouse-Reitz five-and-dime store in Red Bluff:

The Senator Theatre in Chico:

The former Sky Terrace Motel (now the Red Bluff Inn) in Red Bluff:

This drive-in is in Chico:

A very foggy morning in Coyote. I imagine that these sign panels were painted to look like planks of wood originally:

Lots of clouds… and wire mesh protection…. but this Masonic Lodge sign is in Oroville:

This recently uncovered Rexall sign is in Los Molinos:

Sodini’s Trattoria is in San Francisco:

The welcome sign in Rohnert Park:

The welcome arch in Williams:

At Pismo Bowl in Pismo Beach:

At a small strip mall with supermarket in Gilroy:

Two signs from Redding:

At the long-gone Depot Hotel Restaurant in Napa:

There were at least eight Cinderella Motels built in California by the mid-1960s. This one in Hollister is the only one left with a neon sign:

And, lastly, from the still operating drug store from 1906 in Red Bluff:

Coming up in an hour or so… another Chicago area post.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Getting back to Chicago photos — still several days left to goin the Chicago area. This giant mouth is located at the Chicago Doll Museum and Gallery:

A detail from the Northwest Armory:

The St. Mary Church Hospital:

The Ida Crown Natatorium (pool):

A former International House of Pancakes that’s been sitting vacant for years. There’s been talk of demolition for a few years now:

A former Tastee-Freez that was being remodeled for Small Cheval in June when I was there:

A former White Tower from the 1930s now a gelato place:

The Palace Grill – closed since last year after a file:

The Trim ‘n Tidy Cleaners — overgrown trees blocking the arrow:

The Hoyne Savings Bank and…:

… on the side of the building nearly hidden by the building next door:

A brand new sign (and bar):

This sign was moved to the Friends of Friends bar from the former Danny’s Tavern:

… in the past, the Friends building actually housed a Schlitz tavern (relief on the side of the building):

A fairly new bakery (which looks incredible, I’ll go inside next time!) with a modern neon sign:

The bakery also installed this sign recently. It came from a closed bakery in Cincinnati and was gently re-texted a bit at top and bottom before restoring the neon:

Just down the street from that bakery, the vintage California Clipper sign:

Cloudy skies for this one but I’ll include anyway):

An adapted sign from the Golden Flame restaurant:

This cleaners has been closed for-ev-er but the sign remains:

This hotel has been closed for a few years. The owner put the sign up for sale but changed his mind when the locals went nuts… and so it remains:

Let’s close with the incredible Roeser’s Bakery with signs from top to bottom:

Back soon with another Chicago area batch.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

I still have several days left in the Chicago area to work on and add to the website before we move on to Indiana.

This International Fiberglass Indian in Chicago has been on the roof at the same location since at least the 1970s when the space below housed a cigar shop. There is a dental office there now:

This giant toothbrush is at a dental office in Franklin Park:

This fake castle building in Chicago is from 1925 when it housed a gas station and repair shop. It later housed the Castle Car Wash but it has been vacant since the 1990s:

This former International House of Pancakes in Chicago is now a Mexican restaurant:

This former office building in Chicago is now used as a church:

This office building is in La Grange:

The Polar Bear Drive-in with a wooden polar bear sign is in North Riverside:

Johnnie’s Grill is in Melrose Park:

This crown sign in Cicero has been installed on top of a bar sign for decades. It is similar to Best Western’s crown signs but smaller and narrower:

This Aamco Transmissions shop in Cicero is still operating and has its original vacuum-form sign. These were mass-produced and distributed all over the country but there are very few left:

I posted the neon Lezza Spumoni sign in Elmhurst over at main Flickr account. But here’s the less spectacular but cuter sign:

This sign is in Chicago. The meat on the spit used to revolve and was backlit at night:

This corner clock sign in Cicero at the Central Federal Savings Bank originally revolved and had the bank’s name on the other side. There are clocks on both sides now and I don’t believe it revolves any more:

This rooftop sign in Chicago was built in 1961. One side reads Travis Realty while this side advertises for Dempsey Travis’ mortgage company (Sivart is Travis spelled backwards). The oval sign originally revolved along with the time/temperature box below which is installed on the same pole:

This wonderful house sign is at a real estate company in Chicago:

Some more Chicago signs:

The restaurant’s been closed for many years. The space is still vacant and the sign remains:

I don’t know if the add-on flashing light element on this sign was always shaped like this or if the arms were more evenly spaced originally:

It looks like the two arms on the far left are bent downwards:

This sign originally advertised for the Village Bake Shop and was painted light blue. Smakowski’s closed around 2018 but this sign remains:

This sign is at the U-Turn Covenant Church in Northlake:

These two 1950s signs in Broadview originally advertised for Remick’s restaurant and later Paolella’s restaurant. I wish I could find photos of what they looked like then. Old Warsaw has been there since 1973:

And the last sign for this post is in Cicero. Another closed business but the sign remains:

I’ll be back soon enough with more Chicagoland.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram