Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle, WA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
It's hard to imagine driving through Seattle without noticing the giant Seattle Post-Intelligencer globe. Rising high above Elliott Avenue, the spinning globe, bright neon, and familiar "It's in the P-I" slogan made it one of the city's best-known landmarks. Photo date: 05-09
The globe first began turning in 1948 and quickly became as much a part of Seattle as the Space Needle or Pike Place Market. When the newspaper moved its headquarters in 1986, the globe moved as well, continuing to greet commuters, visitors, and anyone passing along the waterfront. It wasn't just a sign for a newspaper. It became one of those landmarks that helped define the city.
The sign was especially impressive after dark. The glowing neon and slowly rotating globe could be seen from quite a distance, making it one of Seattle's most recognizable nighttime sights. Even people who never picked up a copy of the newspaper knew exactly what the globe represented.
Not long after this photo was taken, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer stopped printing its daily newspaper and became an online publication. Although the presses fell silent, the famous globe remained as a reminder of an era when the morning paper was still part of everyday life.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle, WA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The globe no longer spins today, but it remains one of Seattle's great neon landmarks and one of the city's most recognizable roadside icons.
UPDATE: The P-I globe remains in place, although it no longer spins and is awaiting restoration. 07-26
Roosevelt Hotel (Closed)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy Scott Strickland
The red rooftop lettering at Roosevelt Hotel gives Seattle’s skyline a familiar touch of neon. High above the street, the sign advertises a name that has outlasted the hotel’s original identity. It’s worth looking up before the surrounding buildings steal your attention. 08-09
Opened in 1929, the hotel was named for Theodore Roosevelt, who visited Seattle in 1903. Architect John Graham Sr. gave it a distinctive Art Deco design, and it remained Seattle’s tallest hotel for decades. The rooftop lettering helped make that height useful for advertising, too.
UPDATE: The building now operates as Hotel Theodore, but the historic Roosevelt sign remains overhead. Thankfully, the new identity didn’t require removing the old landmark, allowing another familiar piece of Seattle’s neon skyline to survive. 07-26
Vance Motor Hotel (Gone)
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy Scott Strickland
The Vance Motor Hotel rooftop sign once gave Stewart Street a memorable neon landmark. Its enormous letters helped travelers find the hotel from blocks away, back when rooftop advertising played a bigger part in downtown Seattle’s evening scenery. 08-09
Built in 1926 for lumberman Joseph Vance, the ten story hotel was designed by Victor W. Voorhees. Its architecture drew inspiration from an Italian Renaissance palace, giving the building considerably more history than the later “Motor Hotel” name might suggest.
UPDATE: The Vance became Hotel Max in 2005, and its old rooftop lettering was replaced. The historic building remains in the hotel business, now with an emphasis on art and Seattle music. The rooms still welcome travelers, but the familiar Vance name has left the skyline. 07-26
Helen's Children's Wear
Barnaby, BC
Photo courtesy Bill Jackson
One of Burnaby's best-known neon landmarks is the Helen's Children's Wear swinging girl. Originally built in the 1950s for a children's clothing store on Hastings Street, the animated sign became a favorite with generations of shoppers. Photo date: 07-09
The store closed in 2006, but the sign was too special to lose. After a careful restoration, the lettering was changed to read "Heights" in honor of the Burnaby Heights neighborhood, while the famous swinging girl was preserved.
The business may be gone, but the sign still does what it has done for decades: catch your eye and bring a little motion and color to the street.
UPDATE: The restored swinging girl sign continues to light up Burnaby Heights as one of the city's most treasured neon landmarks. 07-26
Helen's Children's Wear
