Disneyland Marquee (2nd Generation)

Pomona Fish Market
Pomona, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A huge fish makes the menu easy to guess at Pomona Fish Market. Draped over the top of the sign, this oversized catch gives passing motorists a good reason to look up—and perhaps stop for some seafood to go. Located on South Park Avenue, the market features the kind of roadside advertisement that tells you what’s inside before you’ve read the lettering. No fishing pole needed for this catch. 10-05

The market has a history to match its old-fashioned appearance. A 1948 Pomona directory lists the business at 295 S. Park Avenue, confirming that the address has been associated with seafood for generations. While the sign’s installation date remains uncertain, its big fish has become a memorable feature of the property.

UPDATE: The photographed location is confirmed as the Park Avenue market, and the fish sign is still there. That’s welcome news for anyone who enjoys seeing a business advertise with something more imaginative than a plain rectangular panel. Next time you’re passing through Pomona, keep an eye out for the catch above the lettering. This one is still worth a roadside peek. 10-26

Flower Lane Florist (Rem.)
Pomona, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

An old parking-lot sign points the way to Flower Lane Florist in Pomona. It’s a familiar sort of neighborhood advertisement, helping customers find the place before heading inside for a bouquet. Signs like this can become part of the scenery after enough trips past, whether you’re shopping for flowers or simply driving through town. 10-05

Flower Lane traces its business history to 1948, giving the shop a connection to generations of birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions. A neighborhood florist gets called on for both celebrations and difficult days, making it a familiar stop for more than one reason.

UPDATE: Flower Lane continues to operate at 420 W. Center Street. It appears the sign has been gone for many years. 10-26

Emser Tile
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The rooftop sign for Emser Tile makes sure this building doesn’t go unnoticed along Santa Monica Boulevard. Visible for blocks, the oversized lettering gives motorists plenty of time to spot the name. Emser dates to 1968, but the building beneath its advertisement reaches much farther back into the area’s history. 10-05

Located at 8431 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, the seven-story building was constructed for Bekins Moving Van and Storage in 1926. The steel framework above the roof originally carried the Bekins name before taking on its later assignment advertising tile.

UPDATE: The sign received a noticeable change in 2026, when local reporting documented LED lighting replacing its neon appearance. The city’s preservation record identifies the rooftop support structure as historic, specifically excluding the lettering. The familiar name remains overhead, but its nighttime look has entered another chapter. 10-26

M & M Electric
Pomona, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

An old vertical sign calls attention to M & M Electric in Pomona. This is the kind of advertisement that gives a working business a little extra character, with lettering positioned to catch the eye along the street. You might have no electrical work on your to-do list, but the sign is still worth a look. 10-05

The business apparently dates to 1947 and suggests that the sign may come from the same period. That would place its beginnings among the small trade shops serving Pomona during the years of postwar growth.

UPDATE: The sign is documented in roadside surveys, but its present condition has not been independently confirmed. The supplied account connecting the business to an event venue also remains unverified. Here, the old M & M name still gets its turn in the spotlight, recalling the everyday businesses that helped give Pomona’s streets their character. 10-26

Melody Ranch
Pomona, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A blue bird brings a little color to the sign for Melody Ranch in Pomona. Just what sort of business it advertised wasn’t clear when this photograph was added, nor was it known whether the neon still worked. Either way, the bird was enough to earn a stop and a picture. Not every roadside discovery comes with its history conveniently printed underneath. 10-05

The name and bird make an appealing combination, suggesting a tune even when the sign is quiet. Whether it once welcomed diners, overnight guests, or another group of customers remains a mystery.

UPDATE: The property’s address, business history, and the bird sign’s present whereabouts remain unconfirmed. Reports that it was removed have not been substantiated. For now, this photograph keeps the little blue bird in view while the story behind Melody Ranch waits to be filled in. 10-26

Kitron Radio (Closed)
Pomona, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The old sign outside Kitron Radio recalls a time when a troublesome radio meant a trip to the repair shop. Found in Pomona, this little advertisement points back to the neighborhood technicians who could bring a silent set back to life. Before replacing an electronic device became routine, finding someone who could fix it was part of keeping the household running. 10-05

Radio repair signs once belonged to the everyday commercial landscape. Today, the name alone can bring to mind glowing dials, tuning knobs, and a workbench crowded with parts. Kitron’s sign preserves that connection to an earlier generation of electronics.

UPDATE: A later photographer documented the Kitron sign on Second Street and reported a swarm of bees surrounding it—an unexpected bit of activity around an old radio-shop advertisement. The more elaborate account of a shop left untouched for fifty years has not been verified, nor has the sign’s present condition. 10-26