jloden
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Mikey posted his thread up before I got around to making one, so I'll post these up as another take/view on the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati 
My best friend from growing up and I decided it'd been too long since our last road trip and we embarked on a long weekend trip to Louisville, KY for the 12th annual LebowskiFest (a topic for another thread I'm sure). Along the way we made a few interesting stops and of course I took lots of photos. The most interesting place we stumbled onto was the American Sign Museum. We thought it'd be a quick in and out visit, but it turned out to be a fascinating tour by the founder of the museum, Tod Swormstedt, and we learned tons about the history and development of signs. It was a ton of fun and I'd love to visit if I'm ever in the area again.
Even before you enter the museum, it was pretty obvious you were in the right place There were signs everywhere, some that are permanent outdoor installations and a few I'm pretty sure they just haven't found a spot for yet.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Once inside, by pure luck we happened to be there at the exact time a tour was starting with Tod, so we joined the group.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Took this one special just for you all
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Tod is passionate about signs and the changing technology and history that make up the eras of signage, and his enthusiasm is infectious. We found ourselves very quickly wrapped up in following along the development from stamped and pressed letters through light bulb signs, neon, and plastic.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Tod demonstrating a few clever mechanisms for lit signs, including an interchangeable letter neon sign with drop-in letters.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
At the end of the tour is the "main street" & plaza setup. The Museum has a clever setup where they've reproduced the signs in their natural environments, using mock storefronts with shops, bars, etc. all with their accompanying signage. The centerpiece is this massive piece of classic McDonald's advertising.
In case you were wondering, it weighs 3900 lbs, and its pillars are sunk 8 feet into the floor. They had to literally build the museum around it in order to make it fit. I joked that the entire museum could fall down and this sign would be the last thing left standing
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
The neat part about the "main street" is that it's available for rent for parties and events. So if you're in the Cincinnati area and looking for a really unique venue, this is definitely the place!
Finally, the last stop on the tour was Neonworks of Cincinnati, a neon sign manufacture and repair shop attached to the museum. The folks there are always working with neon and when available they provide a demonstration and explanation of the steps to creating a neon sign so we were able to observe them creating in real time.
Bending and checking the glass against a pattern:
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Filling with gas in a vacuum then heating it to a correct temp and charging it:
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Totally recommend the museum if you're in the area. Nice group of people, fascinating sign collection and history that's well worth the visit.
My best friend from growing up and I decided it'd been too long since our last road trip and we embarked on a long weekend trip to Louisville, KY for the 12th annual LebowskiFest (a topic for another thread I'm sure). Along the way we made a few interesting stops and of course I took lots of photos. The most interesting place we stumbled onto was the American Sign Museum. We thought it'd be a quick in and out visit, but it turned out to be a fascinating tour by the founder of the museum, Tod Swormstedt, and we learned tons about the history and development of signs. It was a ton of fun and I'd love to visit if I'm ever in the area again.
Even before you enter the museum, it was pretty obvious you were in the right place
There were signs everywhere, some that are permanent outdoor installations and a few I'm pretty sure they just haven't found a spot for yet. LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Once inside, by pure luck we happened to be there at the exact time a tour was starting with Tod, so we joined the group.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Took this one special just for you all
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Tod is passionate about signs and the changing technology and history that make up the eras of signage, and his enthusiasm is infectious. We found ourselves very quickly wrapped up in following along the development from stamped and pressed letters through light bulb signs, neon, and plastic.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Tod demonstrating a few clever mechanisms for lit signs, including an interchangeable letter neon sign with drop-in letters.
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
At the end of the tour is the "main street" & plaza setup. The Museum has a clever setup where they've reproduced the signs in their natural environments, using mock storefronts with shops, bars, etc. all with their accompanying signage. The centerpiece is this massive piece of classic McDonald's advertising.
In case you were wondering, it weighs 3900 lbs, and its pillars are sunk 8 feet into the floor. They had to literally build the museum around it in order to make it fit. I joked that the entire museum could fall down and this sign would be the last thing left standing
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
The neat part about the "main street" is that it's available for rent for parties and events. So if you're in the Cincinnati area and looking for a really unique venue, this is definitely the place!
Finally, the last stop on the tour was Neonworks of Cincinnati, a neon sign manufacture and repair shop attached to the museum. The folks there are always working with neon and when available they provide a demonstration and explanation of the steps to creating a neon sign so we were able to observe them creating in real time.
Bending and checking the glass against a pattern:
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Filling with gas in a vacuum then heating it to a correct temp and charging it:
LebowskiFest 12 by jloden, on Flickr
Totally recommend the museum if you're in the area. Nice group of people, fascinating sign collection and history that's well worth the visit.
