Tagus Theatre

Master Radiator Works (Gone)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the old radiator-shaped sign for Master Radiator Works in downtown Fresno. There was no mistaking what kind of work went on inside this shop. The sign advertised complete radiator service while its distinctive grille-shaped outline did some advertising of its own.

Master Radiator Works was established in 1928, with its brick shop building following in 1929. The business repaired radiators along Fresno's old Broadway automotive corridor for nearly 90 years. Arrow Electric Motor Service stood directly across the street, making this block a convenient stop for motorists with something going wrong under the hood.

The age of the sign is uncertain, although its cut-metal design may have dated from before the 1950s. It was the sort of oversized trade sign that turned an everyday repair shop into a recognizable roadside landmark.

UPDATE: Master Radiator Works is closed, but its original brick shop building still stands and has been offered for commercial reuse. The radiator-shaped sign was gone by 2018. 09-26

Arrow Electric Motor Service
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the colorful sign for Arrow Electric Motor Service in downtown Fresno. The “Arrow” name comes complete with its own neon arrow pointing toward the shop, just in case passing motorists needed a little extra help finding the entrance. 02-06

Clarence Kragh established Arrow Electric Motor Service in 1949. The family business repairs and rebuilds electric motors, pumps, and other industrial equipment used throughout the Central Valley. Three generations of the Kragh family have kept the motors turning inside this Broadway Street shop.

UPDATE: Arrow Electric Motor Service remains open and continues to operate as a family-owned business. Its vintage sign still hangs above the shop entrance, although it is unclear how often the neon is illuminated. 09-26

Rizzuro's Shoes (Gone)
Gilroy, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's the old storefront sign for Rizzuto's Shoes, a longtime family shoe store along Monterey Street. The business had already closed by the time this photo was taken, but its sign continued advertising shoes to anyone passing through downtown. 02-06

Joe Rizzuto operated the store from the 1950s through the late 1980s, offering shoes for the entire family. Rizzuto's was one of several independent shoe stores that once served South Santa Clara County before shopping centers and highway outlet stores changed the local retail scene.

The store was also remembered for a hand-painted mural of the Hush Puppies Basset Hound mascot on the back of the building. Nothing like a giant floppy-eared dog to help sell a comfortable pair of shoes.

UPDATE: The business is now gone and closed around 2008. 09-26

Holly Department Store (Closed)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This strange red leaf sign was something of a mystery when photographed in Fresno's Chinatown. With no lettering left on its face, the oversized leaf did not offer many clues about the business it once advertised. 02-06

The mystery has since been solved. The sign was originally built for Holly Department Store, which occupied a commercial building dating from 1948. Its jagged shape represents a holly leaf, making considerably more sense once the original store name is known.

After Holly Department Store closed, the building was adapted into the F Street Plaza Mini Mall. The old sign was stripped of its lettering and painted solid red, creating the unidentified roadside leaf seen in the original photo.

UPDATE: The Holly Department Store building and leaf-shaped sign still survive. Around 2008, the sign was repainted green and lettered for the F Street Plaza Mini Mall. 09-26