Signs of the Times - July 2016 - (Page 72)

RETURNS TO GLORY A pair of sign-restoration case studies By Steve Aust T ime marches on, progress must progress, change is inevitable, et cetera, et cetera. Our memory banks are filled with clichés that affirm the belief that our world constantly evolves, and we must correspondingly adapt. Point taken. However, I'd also retort, "If you don't know where you've been, you don't know where you're going." Any city, state or other organization that bulldozes its entire history risks leaving its residents or employees without a sense of place that provides a deeper appreciation and understanding. This is why I'm always heartened to read about historic-sign restorations. If you surveyed the general population (sadly, most decisionmakers don't), most would probably wish to see a historically significant site - and its signage - returned to their former state of grace, even if the sign(s) must be transported from its original home to preserve. With this in mind, I'm happy to present a pair of such sign restorations. Oklahoma City-based GS Sign Services refurbished the former neon sign that identified that town's Taft Stadium, and Sanford, FL-based AMPRO produced the sign program for Sanford's Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, which was built in 1923 as the Milane Theater, as part of a massive renovation. You can't change the past, but it can inform and enrich your present and future if you're willing to listen. Take note of the stories these signs tell. 72 SIGNS OF THE TIMES July 2016 Reliving the roar Built in 1934 as a Works Progress Administration project under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, Oklahoma City's Taft Stadium served as the host venue to countless high-school football games and stock-car races. Whether they were passionate cheers of football fans clad in school colors or the high-octane engines of the cars that competed there, roars were the defining sounds emanating from the arena. A double-sided, neon-lit sign identified the facility and conveyed upcoming events. And, because its location at 23rd St. and May Ave. abuts Route 66, the sign enhances the Mother Road's historic distinction. As decades passed, Taft Stadium showed its age. During a late '90s renovation, the iconic sign was taken down. Leon Wilson, a local sign enthusiast, heard about the sign's dismantling, and rushed to save it. One side of the sign was beyond repair, but he arranged to save the other half and transported it to his property. Wilson eventually sold the sign a few years later, and its current owner (who wishes to remain anonymous) contacted Jim Gleason, president of GS Sign Services and vice president of the Billboard Museum Assn., about restoring the sign. Gleason agreed to split the restoration costs with the sign's owner. "The sign's paint was peeling, all the marquee letters needed repainting, the body was rusty and most neon tubing was gone," Gleason said. "Thankfully, there was just enough exterior neon left to create patterns, and the interior neon tubing was still inside." Even transporting the sign from Wilson's warehouse to GS' building proved challenging. The

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - July 2016

Signs of the Times - July 2016
Columns & Departments
ST Update
Technology Update
Integrating High-End Effects in Your Design
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
Moving Message
Technology Review - Computerized Cutters’ Accu-Form
Technology Review - Cyrious software
Design Matters
New Products
Signs that Invite
Horseshoe-Shaped Window Graphics
Driving West
State of the Industry
Returns to Glory
Enter ST’s Vehicle Graphics Contest
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - July 2016