Neon Signs and their Prominence in American Pop Culture

Neon sings are electric signs that use luminous gas-discharge tubes containing neon or other gasses to produce light.  They have been and contnue to be a popular choice for both business advertising, for home decor, car collectors and theatre marquees.

Neon signs, as we know them, were first introduced in 1910 by French engineer Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show.  The first commercial neon sign was sold in 1912 to a Parisian barbershop on the Boulevard Montmarte in Paris.  The first neon signs in the United States was installed at a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles. The signs were so bright people passing by would stop and stare as they could see the glow, even in the daytime.  

The neon signage craze spread like wildfire and became a vertible staple in outdoor advertising.  Though neon did fall out of style in the late 1950s and into the 1960s it saw a small revival in the 1980s.  Television shows like Miami Vice and Magnum  P.I. used these bright colors to reflect each show's tropical backdrop.  This use in television helped bring the neon aesthetic back into public favor.  

Times Square

The Vegas Strip

The Neon Museum Boneyard

770 Las Vegas Blvd.N.

Las Vegas, Nevada