Stephen's Meat Products

Rossi Family Flowers (Closed)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Look up along Telegraph Avenue in Oakland for this old Rossi Family Flowers sign. White letters climb the deep-green blade, with striped rainbow arches finishing off the top and bottom. The sign itself simply says “FLOWERS,” which gets the message across pretty well. 10-05

An arched iron bracket holds the marquee above the sidewalk. Between the bracket, the tall lettering, and those colorful stripes, there's plenty to check out before looking at the storefront below.

The neon tubing has disappeared, but the raised metal letters remain. This one still catches the eye in daylight, even if its nights of glowing above the street are over.

The building dates to around 1905, with commercial space downstairs and apartments above. Long after the flower shop closed, Black Spring Coffee moved into the ground floor during the 2010s. A different reason to stop, with the old Flowers sign still overhead.

UPDATE: The flower shop has closed, but the rainbow-trimmed sign remains on the building without its neon. 09-26

"Service"
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

“Service” is the word to look for on this old Oakland sign. Whatever business waited beyond it, the marquee kept the message short. No need to read a whole list while driving past. 10-05

The script gives that single word a little personality. The flowing letters make a simple direction worth looking at, especially when a plain painted board could have handled the same job.

Rather than spelling out everything the shop could do, the sign leaves the details for when someone pulls in. Apparently, “Service” was enough to get customers pointed in the right direction.

It looks like the sort of thing a motorist might notice while searching for an entrance, then remember on the next trip through town. Easy to take for granted when it's part of the daily drive, a little harder to pass when there's a camera handy.

A closer look at the lettering seems in order before heading on. Hopefully the service inside was as good as the sign outside.

J Miller Flowers
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Need flowers for the trip home? Here's the old sign beside J. Miller Flowers in Oakland. It gives the shop a familiar name to look for among the storefronts along Piedmont Avenue. 02-06

The sign sits next to the business rather than taking over the whole front of the building. A useful spot for catching the eye of someone walking past, especially if flowers weren't on the original shopping list.

J. Miller has been part of the neighborhood for years, supplying bouquets and gifts for all sorts of occasions. Some customers probably arrived with plenty of time to choose, while others were glad to have found the place before heading home.

For anyone passing through with a camera, there's less hurry. Take a look at the sign first, then see whether something in the shop window calls for a longer stop.

UPDATE: J. Miller Flowers and Gifts is still open, and the sign remains beside the shop. 09-26

Keller Brothers Meats (Gone)
St. Helena, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Hungry for a steak? Check out the old sign for Keller Brothers Meats in St. Helena. The colors and shield-shaped outline give this butcher shop marquee something extra to catch the eye along Main Street. 10-05

Of course, this wasn't a restaurant invitation. Picking up a steak here meant there was still some cooking to do before dinner.

Keller Brothers served the Napa Valley community for decades, back when a trip downtown could include a separate stop at the butcher. The sign made a good landmark for customers, and a worthwhile find for anyone passing through with a camera.

UPDATE: Keller Brothers has closed, and the old sign has been removed. 09-26

Clo's Boat Storage (Gone)
American Canyon, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Need somewhere to leave the boat between trips? Check out the old marquee for Clo's Boat Storage in American Canyon. The large sign gave boat owners something to look for while traveling through Napa County. 10-05

The exposed tubing appears ready to trace the lettering after dark, though this daylight view leaves that question open. Even without the lights, the sign has enough going on to warrant a photo.

Along the busy Highway 29 corridor, a boat storage business could use a little help catching motorists' attention. This marquee made the offer well before anyone reached the entrance.

UPDATE: Clo's Boat Storage has closed, the property has been cleared, and the sign is gone. 09-26

IOOF
St. Helena, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Take a look at the old stone building and IOOF sign along Main Street in St. Helena. The letters stand for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a name that turns up on quite a few older downtown buildings. 10-05

This two-story lodge building dates to 1885. Step back a little and there's more to photograph than the sign alone, with the stone frontage giving the whole stop an older Main Street look.

The three linked rings are another detail to watch for. They stand for Friendship, Love, and Truth, and offer a clue to the building's identity before the lettering comes into view.

Odd Fellows halls often occupy the upper floors of commercial buildings, so it pays to look above the shops while wandering through town. Here, the lodge name adds another find to the walk along Main Street.

UPDATE: The St. Helena lodge remains active, and the building's IOOF sign survives. 09-26

Walden Pond Books
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Here's a stop that might take longer than planned. The sign for Walden Pond Books projects over the sidewalk along Oakland's Grand Avenue, inviting a look up before heading inside. 02-06

The independent bookstore opened in 1973, with new and secondhand books giving browsers plenty of shelves to work through. A quick visit could turn into finding something that wasn't on the day's list.

UPDATE: Walden Pond Books is still open, with its familiar sign above the sidewalk. 09-26

Hoyt Water Heaters (Gone)
Berkeley, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out the old Hoyt Water Heaters sign in Berkeley. The neon tubing looks a little aged in this view, giving the lettering the appearance of having spent a long time advertising hot water. 02-06

Water heaters might not sound like much of a roadside attraction, but the sign makes the business worth a look. Even an industrial building could have something interesting waiting above street level.

Hoyt began making water heaters in 1911 and continued into the late 1980s. Plenty of years to keep households supplied, though hopefully the sign needed less maintenance than the equipment.

UPDATE: Hoyt's independent operations ended in 1989, and the old sign has been removed. 09-26