Condon Co. was an advertising company, Roscoe A. Smith is the President and Victor Kaufman is the Vice-President. The Condon Co. was working on an advertising campaign for Mobilgas. Mobilgas sign on Washington Building, view of downtown Tacoma buildings, Rust building on left side with the Medical Arts Building (now Tacoma Municipal Building) in the left background.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cityscapes; Office buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Condon Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Medical Arts Building (Tacoma); Petroleum industry; Advertisements;
ca. 1943. A large pig looks at a sign held by two men and a woman :"You will help--won't you?" The pig was slated for the War Chest. Photograph was taken circa 1943.
Bisig's Market was owned by Emil Bisig, it was located at 1918 East Main Street in Sumner. Exterior view of Bisig's Market in Sumner, Washington; two unidentified store clerks, possibly the owners, are standing by the store entrance. The window display indicates the store offers a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, groceries, meats, dairy products, "Fulmer" ice cream, "Coca-Cola" and "Alt Heidelberg" beer. TPL-9312
Exterior view of Mountain Road Inn coffee shop and restaurant, located in Chehalis, Washington. Chehalis is located on the Chehalis River at the junction of the Newaukum River in west central Lewis County. Chehalis is an Indian name, altered from Chi-ke-lis, which mean shifting sands, and refers to the sands at the mouth of the Chehalis River (TPL Washington Place Names).
Electric signs--Chehalis; Cities & towns; Business enterprises--Chehalis; Restaurants--Chehalis; Automobiles--Chehalis--1940-1950; Mountain Road Inn (Chehalis);
Nighttime view of Olympia "It's in the Water" beer electric sign at the Ingleside Cafe located on 12914 Pacific Highway Southwest in Lakewood, Washington. Photo ordered by EPCON, which was the shortened name of the Electrical Products Consolidated Company; they advertised in the 1949 City Directory as sign painters and manufacturers instead of neon signs, L.M. Moore was the district manager for the company.
Night exposure Heidelberg Brewery. The highway along Pacific Avenue near 30th St. appears surreal as it was photographed at night on August 26, 1954. Highlighted billboards extolling the virtues of Burgermeister Beer, Best Foods Mayo, Chevron oil changes, Connie's Cafe and CH Sugar dot the landscape. Wavy, seemingly-neon stripes decorate the roadway. The Heidelberg Brewing Co.'s buildings, off in the distance, stand out like lighthouses in the night. Photograph ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Co.
Heidelberg Brewery sign at Puyallup Ave. & So. J St., ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated. This billboard is probably above 1002 Puyallup Ave. that housed the R.W. Williams Trucking Co. The billboard features the familiar student prince logo of Heidelberg Brewing and a bottle of Heidelberg beer. It invites all who pass to visit the Brewery and "enjoy that velvet tang."
Daylight creates a less glamorous atmosphere around the casinos lining this street in Las Vegas, Nevada, in October, 1952. The two- and three-story buildings carry neon and incadescent electric signs advertising the "Westerner," "Buckley's," and the "49'er Club." The figure of a cowboy is taller than the building housing the "Pioneer Club;" the landmark neon "Vegas Vic" is 40 feet high. Automobiles have parked in every available parking space and there are but a few pedestrians. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co.
Casinos--Las Vegas--1950-1960; Electric signs--Las Vegas--1950-1960;
The casinos lining this street in Las Vegas, Nevada, in October, 1952, are lit with neon and incandescent electric signs that are taller than the buildings to which they are attached. The "Golden Nugget Gambling Hall" electric sign appears to dwarf the neon signs of other establishments; this sign is no longer in usage in 2002 as it has been replaced by more elegant gold lighting. The "Hotel Apache" sign includes a neon outline of an Indian brave's head. The outline of cowboy "Vegas Vic" invites gamblers to the "Pioneer Club". A Shell gasoline station is situated at the intersection in the foreground. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co.
Casinos--Las Vegas--1950-1960; Electric signs--Las Vegas--1950-1960;
New directional plywood sign for the DFPA. The 30 foot sign entreats visitors to come to Tacoma for the boating, fishing, golfing and beaches. These signs were to be erected on state highways to publicize Tacoma's recreational advantages and to help Tacoma get a share of the estimated $134 million generated in the state by tourism. Each sign was to have a different design in the circle, for example, Mt. Rainier, the Narrows bridge, Pt. Defiance, Fort Nisqually or the Washington State Historical Society. The number of signs was to be determined by the number of sponsors. The sign was possibly sponsored by the Brewery since the bottom half invites guests to visit the Heidelberg Brewery weekdays from 10 to 4. (TNT 7/5/1953, pg. A-4) TPL-9486
Signs (Notices); Billboards--Tacoma; Advertisements--Tacoma--1950-1960; Publicity; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960;
Weyerhaeuser advertising. A model in graduate's cap and horn rimmed glasses perched low on her nose points with a ruler to a cartoon drawing touting the merits of Weyerhaeuser's drier, lighter products. There is a wooden toy freight car by her side.
This two-story building would be put up for public auction by the William C. Johnston Realtor firm on March 28, 1960. Richards Studio notes indicate that this is the former Pierce County Health Department location at 24th & Pacific. Built originally for the Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1928, the building was bought in 1943 by Pierce County first as use for the welfare department. The structure, made of reinforced concrete, had 42,000 square feet of floor space. No bids were made in the public auction on March 28th which left the Pierce County Commissioners pondering what to do next. The building had an insurable value of $250,000. Finally in May, 1960, it was decided to sell the building to Leo Gallagher per his bid of $100,000. Photograph ordered by William C. Johnston Realtor. (TNT 3-28-60, p. 20, 5-4-60, A-18)
Signs (Notices); Pierce County Health Department--Tacoma;
Workmen are putting the finishing touches on the new National Bank of Washington sign at Union and South Tacoma Way on November 11, 1955. The neon signage would be visible many blocks away. The giant billboard was as tall as a four story building; it was 56 feet above street level and over 60 feet wide. It was made of steel, Wilkeson stone and roman brick. A large painting of Mount Rainier is positioned above the bank logo; the same painting has been used on N.B.W. checks for 40 years. The National Bank of Washington had been serving customers since 1885; their customers could be assured that their money was safe as the bank was a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. A reminder to join the Christmas Club was noted on the changeable message board placed against the stone facing. Photograph ordered by Epcon Neon Sign Co. (TNT 11-13-55, A-18)
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Epcon Neon Sign Co. (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma);
A giant electric arrow points to a Fife shopping center featuring the IGA Topper supermarket, Dean's UDS (United Drug Stores) and Herron's, on April 3, 1969. A Goodwill deposit box is located under the freestanding sign. Photograph ordered by Riconosciuto Advertising.
Electric signs--Fife--1960-1970; Drugstores--Fife; Dean's UDS (Fife);
Before pictures of sewer project showing ground condition. A small sign indicates the vicinity of an upcoming sewer project on the Kent-Des Moines Road @ 16th Place in November of 1968. The area is sprinkled with bare trees, bushes and ground cover. A few mailboxes are in the background. Photograph ordered by Wilson Construction.
Sign. A large curved sign invited potential buyers to "Westway" in Federal Way in the spring of 1969. The residential development was located at approximately 21st Ave. S.W. and S. 334th. The neighborhood is still in existence in 2005; earlier in 2005, two new homes were built by Habitat for Humanity to revitalize the aging area. Photograph ordered by McMullen Marketing Associates, Bellevue.
A clearly marked sign planted in the gravelly roadside points the way to the Kapowsin Lake boat launching area, courtesy of the St. Regis Paper Co., which is apparently beyond the tall trees. St. Regis had recently built a 35-acre yard for dry-land log-sorting and storage in place of using Kapowsin Lake as a storage unit. This freed up the lake for public recreation use. St. Regis owned great stands of timber in the foothills of Mount Rainier, including old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock in the Kapowsin Tree Farm. (1964 St. Regis Annual Report, p. 25)
Downtown Pacific Avenue was home to large retail and financial institutions. Side-by-side in the 1100 block of Pacific was Peoples department store, Puget Sound National Bank, and National Bank of Washington with the installment credit loan department of N.B.W. in the 1200 block next door. Schoenfeld's enormous sign can be spotted further down the street. The National Bank of Washington had an elevated, possibly rotating clock, on the top of the credit loan building. Passerbys could also tell time by the Puget Sound National Bank Time & Temperature sign; it indicates that it was 74 degrees at the time of this August 19, 1958, photograph. Photograph ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated. TPL-9294
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clocks & watches; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma);
Both Puget Sound National Bank and the National Bank of Washington had large vertical signage on the exteriors of their buildings. Attached to the PSNB sign was a Time & Temperature electric sign; the bank was the first in this area to erect a device giving both the time and current temperature. View of Pacific Avenue, looking toward Old City Hall with bank signage prominently displayed. The National Bank of Washington building was smaller than Puget Sound National Bank; it was built in 1921 in the Italian Renaissance style and used Wilkeson sandstone. Photograph ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clocks & watches; Signs (Notices); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;
Condon Co. was an advertising company, Roscoe A. Smith is the President and Victor Kaufman is the Vice-President. The Condon Co. was working on an advertising campaign for Mobilgas. Close-up view of neon Mobilgas sign on Washington Building. TPL-8460
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Office buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Condon Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Petroleum industry; Advertisements;
Electrical Products Consolidated manufactured signs. They also manufactured street lights in the downtown Tacoma area. View of Mobilgas sign above the Washington Building, Pacific Avenue and street lights can be seen on right side.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Street lights--Tacoma; Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma); Mobilgas;
The Towers, at 6805 Sixth Avenue, had their grand opening on December 28, 1946. The restaurant quickly became one of Tacoma's most popular night spots for both food and entertainment. Owned and managed by the Radonich family, the Towers went out of business in the late 1960s. After extensive remodeling, it reopened in 1971 as the Empress Gardens Restaurant.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nightclubs--Tacoma; Restaurants--Tacoma; Towers--Tacoma; Towers Restaurant (Tacoma);
The Towers, at 6805 Sixth Avenue, had been open for less then a month when this photograph was taken in January 1947. The Towers featured dancing to the music of the "Sky Lighters" in its circular Rainbow Room, and the Rose Room could be booked for private parties and banquets. Owned and managed by the Radonich family, the Towers went out of business in the late 1960s. After extensive remodeling, it reopened in 1971 as the Empress Gardens Restaurant. (Photo ordered by Dohrmann Hotel Supply.) TPL-9279
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nightclubs--Tacoma; Restaurants--Tacoma; Towers--Tacoma; Towers Restaurant (Tacoma);
Neon highlights the Mirror Room at the Olympus Hotel, 815 Pacific Ave. The newly remodeled Mirror Room was very modern with its gleaming bandstand reflected at every turn in mirrored pillars. The evening began with dinner music from 6 - 8 p.m., followed by dancing nightly at 9p.m. The dining room remained open until 2 a.m. for the late night crowd and reopened the next day for the businessman's lunch group. The Olympus Hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in Tacoma.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Eating & drinking facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nightclubs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Olympus Hotel (Tacoma);
Puget Sound Auto Electric is hosting a "Delco" batteries and automotive parts sales convention at the New Yorker Cafe. Delco celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. An unidentified man, possibly a "Delco" sales representative, stands behind an advertisement for "Delco" automotive radios. The circle of a "Pigskin Pete" sign surrounds six men. Delco Battery Dealers, Tacoma News Tribune and Tacoma Recreation Commission sponsored the event. Ordered by Puget Sound Auto Electric Company.
Signs (Notices); Radios; Automobile equipment & supplies; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Puget Sound Auto Electric Co. (Tacoma); New Yorker Cafe (Tacoma);
The completed neon National Bank of Washington sign in billboard format looms high above the Union & South Tacoma Way area in December, 1955. Three men and one woman stand dwarfed below the enormous sign which was 56 feet above street level and over 60 feet wide. The bank wanted to wish all its customers best wishes for the holiday season and for the year to come. To assure customers of its long-time presence, the billboard also indicates that the bank had been in existence since 1885 and that deposits would be insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. See also D94618-3 for another view of the giant sign. Photograph ordered by National Bank of Washington. (TNT 11-13-55, A-18)
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);
View of unpaved road or alley featuring "private property" sign. On February 27, 1956, a section of South 15th and Pine Streets was photographed on behalf of the National Sales Co. A large 3' by 2' sign clearly stating "Private property. right to use may be revoked at any time" was hammered into the ground of a lot near the edge of an unpaved muddy alley. Small oil tanks and a barrel for burning rubbish are also located in the same yard. Photograph ordered by National Sales Co.
Signs (Notices); Alleys--Tacoma; National Sales Co. (Tacoma);
Site of the new ten million dollar US Oil and Refining Co. on the Tideflats. The plant will be located on a 120 acre site south of Lincoln Ave. The site was an old fishin' hole for Tacoma, as well as a place to beat the summer heat by swimming and a duck hunting area. The soon to be completed dredging of the Port Industrial Waterway will make it possible for large ships to reach the plant. Photo ordered by Howard K. Smith, Advertising. Left hand leg on sign is actually a vertical cut on the photograph. The groundbreaking will take place on July 22, 1955 as part of the 3 day Fun Fair celebration. The target date for full operation of the plant is 12/1/1956; projected peak operating capacity is 15,000 barrels a day of crude oil. The plant's main products will be gasoline, diesel, stove and fuel oil and aviation fuels. The plant will employ 150 people. (TNT 7/8/1955, pg. 1)
