Stephen's Meat Products (Demolished)
San Jose, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
In San Jose is a real porker of a sign. This marquee for Stephen's
Meat Products has advertised this meat business for many years.
The piggy appears to be quite happy, probably because he also lights up
at night.
Market Spot (Gone)
Alameda, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Check out the old sign outside Market Spot Groceries in Alameda. This neighborhood store combined groceries, meats, and deli offerings, giving nearby residents a place to pick up a few things without making a larger shopping trip.
The marquee put the Market Spot name out front, becoming part of the familiar scenery along Lincoln Avenue. It’s the sort of everyday business sign that can go unnoticed for years, then suddenly seem worth remembering when a new name takes its place.
UPDATE: The old Market Spot has become Island Savoy Market, but the building dates back to 1926. A renovation documented in 2023 brought updated signage, repaired windows, and a fresh exterior to the former grocery. The shopping stop carries on, though the Market Spot name has left the storefront. 09-26
Dutch Boy Paints
Oakland, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A familiar little paint salesman turns up on the Dutch Boy Paints marquee at the former G&G Hardware in Oakland. Check out the painter mascot, tall hardware lettering, and the extra panels advertising plumbing supplies. Quite a collection of neon for one neighborhood shopping stop.
Michael Ghiorso and his brother-in-law Angelo Graziano opened G&G Hardware & Plumbing in 1947. The store occupied the Cattaneo Block, an 1871 commercial building with a history stretching back well before the Dutch Boy took his place outside.
The hardware business closed around 2003–2004, and Pizzaiolo opened in the building in 2005. Fortunately, the restaurant’s owners appreciated the old marquee. Hardware gave way to wood-fired pizza, but the little painter kept his spot above the sidewalk.
UPDATE: The main G&G Hardware and Dutch Boy sign survives and was restored by Neon Works. The upper Ruud plumbing panel was removed, so the complete arrangement shown in the old view has changed. The building remains, with the vintage marquee recalling its hardware-store years. 09-26
Aiello's Furniture (Gone)
Pittsburg, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
A little space-age style turns up above Aiello’s Furniture in Pittsburg. Check out the neon script, tall “FURNITURE” lettering, and three atomic-style dots at the top. Here’s a furniture-store marquee that had more going for it than just pointing the way to a new sofa.
The asymmetrical shape gives the sign much of its character. It’s the sort of rooftop advertisement that could catch the passing eye even with no furniture shopping planned. Take another look at the lettering and those dots before heading down the block.
The building itself goes back further than the sign’s mid-century look. Constructed around 1914, it originally housed Linscheid Brothers Groceries. Before customers came looking for home furnishings, this was a place to pick up groceries and dry goods. Family-owned Aiello’s later took over, becoming a downtown furniture stop serving Pittsburg and the nearby industrial waterfront communities.
UPDATE: The store has closed and its neon sign was removed, but the circa-1914 building survives. It later housed government and community offices, including the Contra Costa County District 5 Supervisor’s office, and is a stop on Pittsburg’s Old Town Path of History. The building carries on, though the space-age marquee is gone. 09-26
ACME Fire Extinguisher Co.
Oakland, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Bright yellow and red catch the eye at ACME Fire Extinguisher Co. in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. Check out the arched “ACME” panel, red center lettering, and horizontal speed wings. Quite a bit of roadside flair for a business devoted to putting fires out.
The projecting marquee originally had neon, and there’s a second sign on the rooftop around the corner. Both are believed to date from the 1950s, giving this practical equipment shop a double helping of vintage advertising.
UPDATE: ACME remains in business, providing fire-extinguisher sales, recharging, and testing. Its projecting and rooftop signs survive, keeping the old company name visible along the Fruitvale commercial strip. 09-26
The Alley
Oakland, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
A couple of black cats keep watch above The Alley in Oakland. Check out the silhouettes on the marquee, perched along a fence beneath the neon lettering. Here’s a sign that gives a pretty good introduction to the unusual scene waiting inside.
The longtime piano bar traces its beginnings to the 1930s. Then there are the business cards. Tens of thousands have been stapled to the walls by visitors over the decades, including cards from Jerry Brown and Gregg Allman. Quite a collection to browse while waiting for the next song.
The Alley
Oakland, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Legendary pianist Rod Dibble played here from 1959 until 2017, drawing on a repertoire of more than 4,000 songs. Customers gathered around the piano to sing along, making an evening at The Alley something more than a stop for a drink. Those cats outside had plenty of music to keep them company.
UPDATE: The Alley remains open, continuing its longtime piano-bar tradition. Its roughly seven-foot marquee features turquoise-green neon lettering and was repainted around 2007. The black cats and the alleyway interior keep this Oakland nightspot’s distinctive character going. 09-26
Albert Brown Mortuary (Gone)
Oakland, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Look up above Albert Brown Mortuary in Oakland and check out the old rooftop lettering. The longtime Piedmont Avenue business advertised an 1873 founding date, with its neon signs adding another chapter to the avenue’s roadside history.
UPDATE: The mortuary closed in June 2019. That year, the rooftop sign’s neon was removed and its panel painted over. The other signs were also stripped of their tubing and painted out. Another familiar Oakland name faded from the roadside. 09-26
Market Spot (Gone)
Dutch Boy Paints
Aiello's Furniture (Gone)
ACME Fire Extinguisher Co.
The Alley
The Alley
Albert Brown Mortuary (Gone)
