Page 30 - Journal of Antiques and Collectibles June 2019
P. 30
by Kary Pardy
A Bright Future for Neon Lights
C onsidered ideal Man Cave accessories for veterans with vocational training in neon sign
manufacturing. Neon has since been a beloved
their flashy glow and their connection to
advertising tool, giving way to LED lights and the
popular brands, neon lights made a
splash in advertising throughout the twentieth
holding a place in the hearts of many who appreciate
century and have been mounting a comeback. bright digital displays of the modern era, but still
Could your décor use a non-traditional pop of the constant glow and artistry.
color? Consider adding a bit of neon to your
collection. This technology has held its value, Making it Glow
even when relegated to the finished basement, But how does neon sign technology work? The
barns, and man caves of the world. inner workings of neon signs are filled with interesting
chemical reactions, but at their most basic, a glass
tube is first evacuated of air. Then, neon is backfilled
Turning on the Light
Scientists have been playing around with into the tube and sealed off. There are electrode
glowing gasses for years. In 1675, Jean Piccard terminals at either end of the tube. When an electric
(also famous for computing the size of the earth) voltage is applied to the terminals, enough energy is
purportedly observed that a tube of mercury produced to remove an outer electron from the neon
glowed when he shook it. The scientific atoms. If you remember your chemistry, you know
community took notice, and some focused their that neon is a Noble gas, and each atom has a filled
experiments on gasses as potential light sources. electron shell, so the atoms are not looking to react
In 1898, M. W. Travers and William Ramsey “Neon sign” is a bit of a misnomer. Neon is only one of the with other atoms and swap electrons – their shells are
discovered a new gas, and it was named “neon” noble gasses used in these lights; combinations of neon and argon, already complete. Because of this, it takes energy to
for the Greek “neos,” meaning “the new one.” helium, krypton, and xenon produce the colors that we know remove an electron. When that energy is applied,
Neon exists in the atmosphere but was collected and love. When neon is energized without additives, you get a visible reaction. Atoms are bouncing
by liquifying air and separating it via fractional it glows orange-red. photo: Pslawinski, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.5 around and electrons are becoming “excited,” and
distillation. Once accessed, the French inventor the only way to return to a normal state is to release
Georges Claude became the first person to apply the energy as a photon, aka light.
an electrical discharge to a tube of neon gas, making a lamp. Claude’s early
20th century discovery progressed to a patent, and then a company called Collecting Neon Signage
Claude Neon, which sold its first US signs to a Packard car dealership in Neon has vintage appeal: it’s vibrant and a little kitschy, but ultimately
Los Angeles. From there, neon took off as a tool for outdoor advertising. Its nostalgic, and there is value in the craftsmanship and style of these pieces.
appeal came from its bright colors and powerful light, which was visible even Signs from the 1930s can bring over ten thousand dollars, but more recent
during the day. retro pieces, such as from the 1980s, can be had for a few hundred to a few
World War II brought with it a decrease in neon sign usage, including what thousand dollars, depending on condition and quality. The United States
Popular Mechanics referred to in 1942 as a “dim out” for New York City. Light market for these pieces is as vibrant as the signs themselves, with shops reporting
pollution from Manhattan was illuminating the ocean and enabling German that demand is much higher than the actual available number of pieces can
submarines to spot ships moving on top of the water. Dimming the lights also accommodate. It’s a seller’s market, which has fueled the businesses of neon
saved valuable fuel. The neon did not go dark for long, however. After the war, sign restorers and current day neon artists.
the US government funded the Egani Institute in New York to provide
Boston embraced vintage neon on its John F. Kennedy Greenway throughout 2018 and Brooklyn artist Kate Hush brings neon lights into the 21st century, and challenges ideas
into the spring of 2019. The signs came from the collection of Dave and Lynn Walker, that neon lights need to be relegated to man caves. Her pieces often channel the femme
who have dedicated themselves to the collection, preservation, and study of neon lights fatales of film noir. Juxtapoz writes that Hush “creates ‘crazy women doing bad things,’”
in Massachusetts. The exhibit, aptly called GLOW, included a variety of signs and that her work is tongue-in-cheek. Noir films, she says, “have the best evil women.”
from restaurants, motels, and businesses that ranged from 1927-1970. photo of You Can Relax Around Me courtesy of: “Don’t Tell Her to Hush,” Juxtapoz Magazine, 3/10/16.
photo: NewtonCourt, “Glow neon signs on Rose Kennedy Greenway” User- Wikimedia Commons
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
28
A Bright Future for Neon Lights
C onsidered ideal Man Cave accessories for veterans with vocational training in neon sign
manufacturing. Neon has since been a beloved
their flashy glow and their connection to
advertising tool, giving way to LED lights and the
popular brands, neon lights made a
splash in advertising throughout the twentieth
holding a place in the hearts of many who appreciate
century and have been mounting a comeback. bright digital displays of the modern era, but still
Could your décor use a non-traditional pop of the constant glow and artistry.
color? Consider adding a bit of neon to your
collection. This technology has held its value, Making it Glow
even when relegated to the finished basement, But how does neon sign technology work? The
barns, and man caves of the world. inner workings of neon signs are filled with interesting
chemical reactions, but at their most basic, a glass
tube is first evacuated of air. Then, neon is backfilled
Turning on the Light
Scientists have been playing around with into the tube and sealed off. There are electrode
glowing gasses for years. In 1675, Jean Piccard terminals at either end of the tube. When an electric
(also famous for computing the size of the earth) voltage is applied to the terminals, enough energy is
purportedly observed that a tube of mercury produced to remove an outer electron from the neon
glowed when he shook it. The scientific atoms. If you remember your chemistry, you know
community took notice, and some focused their that neon is a Noble gas, and each atom has a filled
experiments on gasses as potential light sources. electron shell, so the atoms are not looking to react
In 1898, M. W. Travers and William Ramsey “Neon sign” is a bit of a misnomer. Neon is only one of the with other atoms and swap electrons – their shells are
discovered a new gas, and it was named “neon” noble gasses used in these lights; combinations of neon and argon, already complete. Because of this, it takes energy to
for the Greek “neos,” meaning “the new one.” helium, krypton, and xenon produce the colors that we know remove an electron. When that energy is applied,
Neon exists in the atmosphere but was collected and love. When neon is energized without additives, you get a visible reaction. Atoms are bouncing
by liquifying air and separating it via fractional it glows orange-red. photo: Pslawinski, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.5 around and electrons are becoming “excited,” and
distillation. Once accessed, the French inventor the only way to return to a normal state is to release
Georges Claude became the first person to apply the energy as a photon, aka light.
an electrical discharge to a tube of neon gas, making a lamp. Claude’s early
20th century discovery progressed to a patent, and then a company called Collecting Neon Signage
Claude Neon, which sold its first US signs to a Packard car dealership in Neon has vintage appeal: it’s vibrant and a little kitschy, but ultimately
Los Angeles. From there, neon took off as a tool for outdoor advertising. Its nostalgic, and there is value in the craftsmanship and style of these pieces.
appeal came from its bright colors and powerful light, which was visible even Signs from the 1930s can bring over ten thousand dollars, but more recent
during the day. retro pieces, such as from the 1980s, can be had for a few hundred to a few
World War II brought with it a decrease in neon sign usage, including what thousand dollars, depending on condition and quality. The United States
Popular Mechanics referred to in 1942 as a “dim out” for New York City. Light market for these pieces is as vibrant as the signs themselves, with shops reporting
pollution from Manhattan was illuminating the ocean and enabling German that demand is much higher than the actual available number of pieces can
submarines to spot ships moving on top of the water. Dimming the lights also accommodate. It’s a seller’s market, which has fueled the businesses of neon
saved valuable fuel. The neon did not go dark for long, however. After the war, sign restorers and current day neon artists.
the US government funded the Egani Institute in New York to provide
Boston embraced vintage neon on its John F. Kennedy Greenway throughout 2018 and Brooklyn artist Kate Hush brings neon lights into the 21st century, and challenges ideas
into the spring of 2019. The signs came from the collection of Dave and Lynn Walker, that neon lights need to be relegated to man caves. Her pieces often channel the femme
who have dedicated themselves to the collection, preservation, and study of neon lights fatales of film noir. Juxtapoz writes that Hush “creates ‘crazy women doing bad things,’”
in Massachusetts. The exhibit, aptly called GLOW, included a variety of signs and that her work is tongue-in-cheek. Noir films, she says, “have the best evil women.”
from restaurants, motels, and businesses that ranged from 1927-1970. photo of You Can Relax Around Me courtesy of: “Don’t Tell Her to Hush,” Juxtapoz Magazine, 3/10/16.
photo: NewtonCourt, “Glow neon signs on Rose Kennedy Greenway” User- Wikimedia Commons
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
28
