Parker Paint (Gone)
Tacoma, WA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The giant Parker Paint sign was impossible to miss after dark. Glowing high above South Tacoma Way, it advertised more than just paint. It became a familiar landmark for anyone traveling through this part of Tacoma.
For decades, Parker Paint manufactured and sold its products from this location, supplying homes and businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest. The bright rooftop sign gave the factory plenty of personality and made it one of those places you remembered long after driving by.
When I photographed it, I had no idea the scene would change so quickly. Just a few years later, a major fire forced the business to close for good, bringing an end to one of Tacoma's longtime local companies.
UPDATE: The Parker Paint factory has closed following the 2010 fire, and the landmark rooftop sign has been removed. 07-26
University Seafood & Poultry (Closed)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy Chris Richey
Shaped like a giant fish, the Sea Food sign is one of Seattle's more memorable neon marquees. Its bright colors and simple design make it hard to pass without taking a second look.
The sign hung outside University Seafood & Poultry in Seattle's University District, welcoming customers for generations. It's the kind of eye-catching roadside advertising that once gave neighborhood businesses a little extra personality.
The market may be gone, but the fish still steals the show and remains one of Seattle's classic neon sights.
UPDATE: University Seafood & Poultry has closed, but the fish-shaped sign still survives on the building. 07-26
Mac's Auto Seat Covers (Gone)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Salvatore
This bench seat has been catching the eyes of Seattle drivers for generations. Mac's Auto Seat Covers advertised itself with one of the city's most unusual neon signs, a giant automobile seat outlined in glowing red and blue neon. Parked beneath the even bigger Bardahl sign in Ballard, it made quite a pair for anyone cruising through the neighborhood.
Mac's opened in 1948, building a reputation for custom auto upholstery before expanding into boat canvas and furniture work. The seat-shaped sign was a perfect fit for the business and became a familiar landmark for people who passed by on 15th Avenue.
UPDATE: Mac's Upholstery has relocated to a new Seattle location, and the classic bench seat sign was removed from its longtime home. 07-26
Metal Fabricators
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Salvatore
One of Seattle's more unusual neon signs shows a metalworker frozen in the middle of the job. Metal Fabricators advertises Capital Industries with a glowing welder holding a torch, making it hard to miss for anyone passing by.
The sign dates to the late 1950s when it stood high on a revolving pole. One side read "Capital Industries" while the other read "Metal Fabricators," giving drivers a different view as it slowly turned. It was a perfect fit for a company that has been fabricating steel in Seattle since 1953.
UPDATE: The old revolving sign no longer stands on its pole. It was restored in 2014, divided into its two original faces, and mounted on the company's buildings where the neon still lights up the welder and lettering. 07-26
Bardahl Manufacturing
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Spencer
Few Seattle signs are as recognizable as the giant rooftop letters of Bardahl Manufacturing. Rising above the factory just north of the Ballard Bridge, the sign has been part of the skyline for generations. Whether you were crossing the bridge during the day or after dark, it was one of those landmarks that let you know exactly where you were.
The company was founded in 1939 by Ole Bardahl, who built the business around oil additives that eventually found their way around the world. In 1953, the factory gained its famous rooftop display. It was much more than a simple sign. The animated neon flashed "ADD BARDAHL," "ADD IT TO YOUR OIL," and "ADD IT TO YOUR GAS" while glowing pistons climbed upward and a 1950s automobile lit up below. It must have been quite a sight for anyone driving into Ballard on a rainy Seattle evening.
Bardahl Manufacturing
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy John Spencer
Even today, the towering letters remain one of the city's best-known industrial signs. It has become as much a part of the neighborhood as the bridge itself, reminding travelers of a time when big companies weren't shy about putting a little neon on the roof.
UPDATE: Bardahl continues to operate from its longtime Seattle factory. The rooftop sign still overlooks the Ballard Bridge, although the famous neon animation is no longer operating. 07-26
Yale Hotel
Vancouver, B.C. Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Built back in the 1880's the Yale Hotel has been a Vancouver staple for over a century. Today, the Yale Hotel is a focal point for rhythm and blues music and also features a great neon sign. 11-05
glowing vertical neon sign, complete with its colorful saxophone, is hard to miss and has long invited people inside for a night of music. Originally opened in 1889, the Yale became one of the city's best-known hotels and later earned a reputation as one of the Pacific Northwest's great blues clubs. Over the years, plenty of legendary musicians played beneath that famous sign, making it a favorite stop for both locals and visitors.
UPDATE: The historic building has been restored, with the upper floors now used for supportive housing. The ground floor continues as the Yale Saloon, and the classic neon sign still lights up the corner. 07-26
Astoria Hotel (Closed)
Vancouver, B.C. Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The bright neon crown atop the Astoria Hotel is hard to miss along East Hastings Street. Combined with the tall vertical "HOTEL" sign, it has been lighting up this part of Vancouver since the 1950s and remains one of the city's best-known neon landmarks. 11-05
The building opened in 1913 and became the Astoria Hotel in 1950, when the eye-catching sign was added. For years it welcomed travelers before becoming a neighborhood gathering place with its pub and live music. Today the old neon still gives the building plenty of character, especially after dark.
UPDATE: The Astoria no longer operates as a traditional hotel. The upper floors now provide single-room accommodations, while the Astoria Pub continues to welcome patrons on the ground floor. The restored neon sign still shines over East Hastings Street. 07-26
Parker Paint (Gone)
University Seafood & Poultry (Closed)
Mac's Auto Seat Covers (Gone)
Metal Fabricators
Bardahl Manufacturing
Bardahl Manufacturing
Astoria Hotel (Closed)
