Well, this is a neat project. The city of West Hollywood, Calif., and the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles have installed a new art installation of four neon signs along Route 66, according to The LAist. The display began Thursday.
“We were looking at projects that would sort of help our history, even our pre-history,” explained Andrew Campbell, West Hollywood’s Cultural Affairs Administrator, about the public art project’s relation to the city’s 25th anniversary. “The city’s positioning along historic Route 66 is quite an important matter for us.”
Four historic neon signs, which light up at night, are now on display in the city. Three of them can be found on the medians near the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial at Santa Monica and Holloway. The fourth, which is from Winchell’s Donuts in Upland, is at Plummer Park and should start lighting up within a few weeks. Apparently, some thinking a new donut shop will soon open there. The signs are on loan for a year from the Museum of Neon Art, which is currently in transition from downtown to a new Glendale space.
Additionally, the city produced a neon walking tour guide, complete with a map and brief descriptions, of 55 signs mostly along the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard.
The neon art displayed is a replica of the Virginia Court Motel diver from 1950, La Fonda Mexican Food formerly of Glendale, Winchell’s Donut House, and Zinke’s Shoe Repair (1928) from Glendale.
Images can be seen here. More neon images can be seen here. The map to find the neon art is here.