Tagus Theatre

Guthrie's Alley Cat
Bakersfield, CA
Photo courtesy John King

Tucked into a downtown Bakersfield alley is the colorful blade sign for Guthrie's Alley Cat. With its bright yellow, red, and blue panels, it could almost be mistaken for an old Kodak sign. Look closer and there is the smiling cat, complete with animated eyes, a blue neon tongue, and a pinwheel tail. It is quite a show for a little lounge hidden along Wall Street. 07-10

The Alley Cat opened as Oscar's Alley Cat in 1940 before Jack and Shorty Guthrie took over and added the family name. It has since become known as Bakersfield's oldest operating bar, retaining the dimly lit and cash-only atmosphere expected from a classic downtown watering hole.

The animated cat has become a local character in its own right. Some longtime regulars have even gotten the design tattooed. Inside is another surprise, a long celebrity caricature mural associated with illustrator Al Hirschfeld.

UPDATE: Guthrie's Alley Cat remains open, and its animated neon cat continues lighting up the alley after dark. 09-26

Tower Health Food
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Mike & Robyn Howard

Along Fulton Street in Fresno, check out the glowing letters for Tower Health & Diet Foods. The neon sign adds a little nighttime color to the Tower District, while the shop below keeps the neighborhood supplied with vitamins, loose-leaf herbs, supplements, and natural foods. 07-11

Tower Health has served the community since 1957. While plenty of businesses have come and gone around it, this longtime shop has remained a familiar sight for generations of local customers. The exact age of the neon lettering is unknown, but it fits right in with the district’s collection of vintage storefronts and signs.

UPDATE: Tower Health & Diet Foods remains open after nearly 70 years in business. The storefront and familiar sign continue to hold down Fulton Street, making this one old Tower District landmark that has managed to stay healthy. 09-26

Ralph Kuettel Pianos (Gone)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Mike & Robyn Howard

Along West Olive Avenue in Fresno, the signs for Ralph Kuettel Pianos made it easy to figure out what was being sold inside. A horizontal panel spelled out “PIANOS” above a row of decorative piano keys, while an older vertical neon blade repeated the message below. There was little chance of driving past this place without knowing where to find a new set of ivories. 07-11

The piano shop stood at 234 W. Olive Avenue, near North Palm Avenue and just west of the main Tower District strip. Roadside photographer John Margolies documented the storefront and its signs in 1987, preserving them as part of his celebrated roadside architecture collection at the Library of Congress.

UPDATE: Ralph Kuettel Pianos closed many years ago, and the building later housed Bencomo’s Home Brew Supply for a time. Both of the vintage PIANOS signs have since been removed from the pole along Olive Avenue. The music store may be gone, but its distinctive signs live on in photographs. 09-26