Los Angeles is famous for its glowing neon landscape, but these iconic signs were once actively targeted for removal.
During the 1980s, the American Beautification Act took hold across the city. Local municipalities began fining businesses that displayed neon signs, viewing the luminous tubes not as high art, but as a “trashy” blight.
Preserving an illuminated history
To save these historic commercial pieces from the scrapyard, a dedicated group of local artists stepped in. This grassroots rescue mission led to the creation of the Museum of Neon Art.
The museum’s early collection was driven by its founders, including one artist who began collecting neon signs while still in high school.
The Romero family’s dancing couple
One of the museum’s most prominent pieces is a massive, colorful animated dancing couple. This sign originally belonged to a restaurant run by the Romero family in Glendale.
The beloved local spot had been operating since the 1940s. Faced with the strict new municipal codes of the 1980s, the family handed the sign over to the museum because it was illegal to keep it displayed.
A permanent home for glowing relics
Without the fast action of these early collectors and a supportive community, LA’s surviving neon history would look completely different today.
The preserved collection reflects a massive shift in how the city views commercial signage.
You can explore these surviving signs and learn about the medium’s history at the Museum of Neon Art, located at 216 S Brand Blvd in Glendale.
