Moody Marquee.... 4 of 365

I know I'm a little late, but the clock hasn't struck midnight on the west coast yet which means I have not turned into a pumpkin and missed my deadline for the evening. Besides, I have a good reason.... a consult with a couple about their future wedding photography is a perfectly good excuse to be behind schedule.

As it turns out, that same couple is the inspiration behind tonight's post. The groom works on sets for a non-profit company involved in theatre productions. After our evening meeting I came home and began searching for tonight's photo of the day and found this...

Downtown LA's very own theatre, down the street from the well known Orpheum

It's a bit moody and definitely different than my usual style, but it's a perfect end to my Thursday and it's my fourth of 365. Good night everyone.

Bowl at the Wheel... 3 of 365

Today was a rather overcast Wednesday, from the moment I woke up until the sun set. It's been pretty hot down here though lately so for the time being, I can appreciate it. I also don't usually attempt to shoot signs on weekdays...

Unfortunately not every weekend is bright and sunny either, even in southern California. So, until I develop my Storm powers more completely I, like all other photographers, have to deal with the light, sky and backgrounds nature gives me. And when photographing something far from home, well, I just have to work with it.

Today's offering is one of those such days. A friend and I drove out to Oxnard from his place in LA one Saturday, hoping the clouds would break as we approached the coast. I'd been trying to get to Oxnard FOREVER and with the Wagon Wheel Motel being razed I wanted to capture a few shots of the motel and bowling alley signs before they fell into complete disrepair. But the clouds didn't relent and the closer we came to our destination the more and more definition was lost in the sky. By the time we made it to Oxnard the only thing above us was gray soup. Not knowing when I'd be back, I photographed the signs as best I could, working with the diffused light and nondescript background. I hope I make it back soon, but until then, at least I have this.

Here's to Wednesday and a week that's more than half over. Three down, 362 more to come!

Reno's El Ray... 2 of 365

Reno has a wealth of small motels with colorful vintage signs. And there's no clear motel row like some other cities I've visited. Instead the mom and pop places seem to be in clusters around the downtown area. Find one and you'll find four more. It makes for some fun exploration on foot, wandering from place to place with camera in hand. The El Ray is on Arlington in the midst of several other motel signs, across the street from the Sands Casino. I know what you're thinking... it's not that Sands sadly.

Boomerang signs... amazing.

It's unclear if the El Ray is still operating as a monthly rental place, if at all. The plastic panel that once read motel is completely gone, but there is still a building on the property and I was definitely unwillingly eavesdropping on a woman's telephone conversation while snapping away pictures of the sign.

Two down.... Happy Tuesday!

It's Love... 1 of 365

The past week has been a flurry of photo related list making, remaking, amending and doing. For every "to do" item checked off that list, I've easily added three more. Like all things worth doing well, my photo work never ends. But things are happening, and I'm excited.

Somehow in my brainstorming I had this zany idea to post a photo a day for the next year. Most 365 projects involve creating a photo a day... this isn't that... no no. While I would love to create an image a day I am proud enough to share, there are a few reasons it isn't the project for me right now. This silly project of mine is editing and thoughtfully posting one image per day.

I know for a fact I have photographs of at least 365 signs, cars and roadside wonders hiding untouched on my computer. If I didn't take another photograph for a year I'd still have enough material to share with you every day until October 20, 2014. This is absurd and wonderful but it needs to change. Add to this backlog the fact I haven't blogged since February of this year...whoops!... and my project is the perfect. Welcome to day 1 of 365.

Today's beautiful sign is none other than Baskin's Auto Supply in Fresno, California. Fresno has it's rougher neighborhoods... beware motel row... but it also has a pretty fantastic collection of neon. Baskin's is most likely the best maintained in town and it's in pristine condition. A neighboring shop owner said the business has been owned by the Baskin family since 1917, and it seems the sign was built in 1956. The sign is currently listed on the Local Register of Historic Places for Fresno, but I haven't found a National Register listing. At least not yet.

I love proud neon sign owners. Love them!

If you ever think I'm slacking on this project, feel free to hassle me at any time. One down, here's to 364 more.

Motel Monday - The Blue Angel

The Blue Angel Motel signage as seen from Fremont Street. A separate sign welcomes visitors from East Charleston Boulevard. 

Last month I had the pleasure of meeting several like minded photographers in Las Vegas for a sign geeks meet up. We toured the Neon Museum and the town, seeing as much of the vintage, googie and kitsch as possible.

The most fantastic part for me was being surrounded by people who share my passion for vintage neon, and the amount I was able to learn from them in less than 48 hours was extraordinary. I learned about bygone signs in Portland and Reno and giant signs still standing in the bay area. Sadly I also learned that the Blue Angel Motel on Fremont Street is to be demolished in the near future. A new development is set to be built in the Blue Angel's place, and the Para-A-Dice motel across the street has already been razed. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony in December 2011 Las Vegas Weekly posted this article about the fate of the iconic Blue Angel, designed by the sign geek famous Betty Willis. Ms. Willis is deserving of her own post, so I'll have to share more about her later.

Since the ribbon cutting ceremony the Blue Angel Motel has been vacated and now sits with the windows boarded and a chain link fence circling the building. Despite this, it seems that the development project has now stalled without any visible progress. According to this Las Vegas Weekly article update, there are still plans to save the Blue Angel herself if the project moves forward. I'm hoping the additional signage is part of the preservation and restoration plans. I love those giant neon arches.

I think perhaps my favorite photograph of the motel on our trip was taken by Lost San Jose. You can find it here... 

Happy Monday,

Stefanie

   

Motel Monday - Loop de Loop

Most of my road trips are centered around groupings of signs I want to photograph that can be found within a city or general area. This makes my trips more efficient, allowing me to capture as many signs as possible and attempt to save gas in the process. But every once in a while I'll stumble upon a vintage sign that is so extraordinary I will drive well out of my way just to photograph it and nothing else. That one sign is the trip.

Perhaps it's just a function of it's location, but the Loop Motor Lodge in Venture was one of those signs for me. I've had it on my maps for years, and with every trip to Los Angeles I'd wish I'd made it farther north and west. A few weeks ago I finally took the trip and was thrilled to finally see it in person.

I love the neon details that adorn the outside of the sign, and I bet it looked amazing when fully lit. A vintage postcard I found of the motel shows that some changes have been made to the sign over the years, but the core remains unchanged. The design is so classic and simple it makes me smile. 

Here's hoping that smile lasts all week!

Happy Monday!

- Stefanie

Motel Monday - The Sun and the Sand

Today's feature is by far one of my favorite photographs ever, in part because this sign is no longer the one that got away.

The Sun 'n Sand Motel sits on Route 66 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The first time I spotted this sign was from afar during the summer of 2009. We'd stopped for gas in the midst of our cross country road trip and the motel was just down the street. For the life of me I cannot figure out why I didn't photograph it then... whatever reason I had for not getting out of the truck, putting on my shoes and walking the few blocks in the late July heat with my camera became completely feeble and inexcusable just a few hours later.

I've been kicking myself ever since that summer and with every disappearing sign I read about I kicked myself even more. Thankfully when I made it back to Santa Rosa last year the Sun 'n Sand was still standing as beautiful as ever. Apparently the sign was restored sometime before June 2006, and you can definitely spot it from Interstate 40. Take the exit into Santa Rosa and you'll drive right by the motel.

The motel also has it's own restaurant but it was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. The restaurant comes complete with it's own great vintage googie inspired signage. I'll save it for a Foodie Friday feature.

Here's to checking this one off my list!

Happy Monday!

- Stefanie