Steele Electric (Gone)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy John V Cinchett

Here is a clever design for a neon sign for an electric company. This Steele Electric marquee was designed as an electric bolt by Cinchett Neon Signs. This photo dates back to 1956. Many thanks to John V Cinchett for info. 11-08

The design worked because the shape carried the message before motorists finished reading the name. Outlined in glowing tubing, the bolt gave the storefront an identity beyond ordinary lettering. It was an appropriate showcase for an electrical business, using light itself to attract customers and distinguish the company from its neighbors.

UPDATE: Steele Electric is gone, and its lightning-bolt marquee no longer stands along Florida Avenue. The building has been reused by other businesses, but the custom neon display has disappeared. Photographs preserve another imaginative example of Tampa’s locally made commercial signage. 08-26

Mons Venus
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Chibbqking

The Mons Venus marquee stands out along Tampa’s Dale Mabry Highway, where modern chain-business signs compete for attention. Its older roadside styling gives it a different presence from the standardized displays nearby. Whatever brings motorists along this stretch of road, the towering sign is difficult to overlook.

The adult-entertainment club opened in 1981 and became one of Tampa’s widely recognized nightlife names. Its location along a busy commercial corridor helped make the marquee familiar to people who never visited the business. Like many long-serving roadside signs, it developed a landmark role beyond simply identifying what stood beneath it.

UPDATE: Mons Venus remains in business, and its familiar marquee continues overlooking Dale Mabry Highway. The surrounding commercial landscape has changed, but the sign retains the individual character that makes older roadside advertising worth noticing. 08-26

Record City Records (Gone)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy John V Cinchett

This record shop called Record City Records was on South Dale Mabry Hwy in Tampa, in 1958 and sported quite a fancy neon job. This sign was made by Cinchett Neon Signs during the 1950s. Many thanks to John V Cinchett for info. 07-09

Neighborhood record stores offered a place to browse new releases, search for a favorite performer, and discover something unexpected in the racks. The roadside sign extended that invitation to passing motorists, making a relatively small specialty shop recognizable from the street. Before music shopping moved toward larger chains and eventually online services, individual stores supplied their own names and atmosphere.

UPDATE: Record City Records has disappeared, and its vintage neon sign is gone as well. A confirmed closing date has not been established here. The photograph preserves a colorful piece of Tampa’s record-shopping history and another distinctive creation from the city’s neon-sign trade. 08-26