GE Appliance Center (Gone)
Alliance, OH
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

The GE Appliance Center sign in Alliance was hard to miss. With its oversized arrow pointing the way, it was built to grab the attention of passing motorists and steer them toward the showroom. It was a classic example of the bold roadside advertising that appliance dealers relied on during the 1950s and '60s.

Although the sign prominently featured the familiar GE logo, it was associated with Grove Appliance, a family-owned business that has been serving the Alliance area since 1936. The combination of the colorful sign and giant arrow made it a local landmark for many years.

UPDATE: The original GE Appliance Center sign has since been removed, but Grove Appliance remains in business. 07-26

Butterfield Jewelry
Collinsville, IL
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixon

The vintage sign at Butterfield Jewelers has stood the test of time. Hanging above Main Street in downtown Collinsville, it's one of those classic storefront signs that reminds you of an era when locally owned jewelry stores were a fixture in every downtown.

Butterfield Jewelers has been serving the Collinsville community for decades, earning a reputation for quality jewelry, watch repair, and personal service. It's the kind of family business where customers return year after year, whether they're shopping for an engagement ring, celebrating an anniversary, or having a treasured piece repaired.

The old marquee is every bit as timeless as the business itself. It still adds plenty of character to Main Street and serves as a reminder that not every classic sign has disappeared.

UPDATE: Butterfield Jewelers remains in business, and the vintage storefront sign still hangs above Main Street. 07-26

Kriege Hardware (Closed)
Edwardsville, IL
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixon

Sitting just off the side of the building, the old marquee at Kriege Hardware is an easy one to miss unless you're looking for it. Restored neon and a classic projecting design have helped it survive long after the hardware store itself became history.

Kriege Hardware served Edwardsville for more than 90 years after Earl G. Kriege opened the business in 1920. Following World War II, the family rebuilt the store using salvaged lumber from the original building when construction materials were in short supply. The hardware store remained a downtown fixture until closing in 2011.

The building found new life the following year as Dewey's Pizza, but thankfully the landmark marquee wasn't lost in the renovation. Instead, it was carefully restored, rewired, and returned to its place on the building, where it continues to light up the streetscape much as it did decades ago.

UPDATE: The restored neon marquee remains in place and continues to welcome visitors to the building. 07-26

Conrad & Son Hardware
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixon

Conrad & Son Hardware was one of those neighborhood hardware stores that looked like it had earned every year on the street. The weathered storefront, faded painted lettering, and neon tubing wrapped around the building's name gave it plenty of character. Even after years of exposure, the old facade still managed to catch your eye.

The hardware store operated for many years on Chicago's Northwest Side before eventually closing. The storefront became a familiar local landmark, with its distinctive combination of painted lettering and mid-century neon believed to date from the 1950s.

UPDATE: The vintage neon storefront was removed in 2018, leaving the building without one of its most recognizable features. 07-26

Better Roofing and Siding (Gone)
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixon

Here's the clock sign at Better Roofing & Siding in Chicago. Before everyone carried a phone, signs like this gave passing motorists a useful service while keeping the business name in view. That's a practical bit of roadside advertising.

Fred Saufnauer founded the company in 1937 and operated it for 60 years. Its longtime address was 2210 North Cicero Avenue, where the distinctive marquee helped make the storefront recognizable. The surrounding block later received the honorary name Fred Saufnauer Way, acknowledging his place in the neighborhood's business history.

UPDATE: Better Roofing & Siding closed in 2010, and the clock sign was removed. Fortunately, it went to a private collector rather than the scrapyard. The marquee no longer supplies the time on Cicero Avenue, but another piece of Chicago sign history survives. 07-26

Lees Watches (Gone)
Kokomo, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

Here's the neon at Lee's Watches & Jewelry in downtown Kokomo, Indiana. The projecting sign combined bright lettering with an illuminated clock, giving pedestrians another reason to look up. A watch shop displaying the time certainly seems appropriate.

The business stood at Main and Mulberry streets, where its corner position made the sign especially effective. Neon outlined the display from top to bottom, turning a straightforward storefront advertisement into a downtown landmark. A photograph preserved by the Library of Congress documents the sign as part of Kokomo's commercial streetscape.

UPDATE: Lee's has closed, and the neon sign has been removed from its original location. Its installation date and eventual destination remain unconfirmed. Hopefully, the clock and lettering found another home beyond the storefront they once advertised. 07-26

Victory Cycle Co. (Gone)
Kokomo, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

Here's the old Victory Cycle Co. marquee in Kokomo, Indiana. Hanging above the entrance, it marked a familiar destination for bicycles, repairs, and the kind of browsing that could keep a young customer occupied for quite a while.

Victory opened in 1940. Charlie Sullivan owned and operated the shop from 1942 until 2001, selling more than 28,000 bicycles during his career, according to the company's history. Hobby merchandise also appeared alongside the bikes, giving the store an appeal beyond customers looking for their next set of wheels.

UPDATE: The business continues as Victory Trike Shop, specializing in recumbent tricycles and related cycling equipment. The original storefront marquee was removed and didn't accompany the move. Fortunately, Victory's long Kokomo history continues even though the familiar sign is gone. 07-26

Ralph's Barber Shop
IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The old marquee at Ralph's Barber Shop leaves little doubt about what was waiting inside. Alongside the barber shop lettering is a familiar invitation to "Drink Coca-Cola in Bottles," a reminder of the days when neighborhood businesses often shared their signs with America's best-known brands.

This Central Illinois storefront has all the charm of a classic hometown barber shop, where a haircut was only part of the reason people stopped by. The simple marquee and vintage Coca-Cola advertising capture a time when these small businesses were gathering places as much as they were places to do business.

UPDATE: The current status of the barber shop and its marquee is not known. 07-26