The Family Business

I was on a road trip in Arizona a couple weeks back.  Driving through Kingman, I was scanning the horizon - as I always do - for signs in general and SIGNS signs in particular. Imagine my delight when I spied just such a sign in the distance.  I, of course, turned around, found a way across the railroad tracks, wandered in, and introduced myself.

I was pleased to discover they knew of the American Sign Museum. But more than that, I had stumbled upon a family who has been in the sign business since World War II. 

Deloris Mack was there behind the counter, with her son, Dave. Her husband, Victor, now runs things from his bed, but he had had the foresight to capture their legacy in more than several scrap books.

Victor was a B-17 pilot in World War II. He began his sign career after the war in Spokane, Washington. When he needed a crane truck, he thought of his military connections and got himself a gun turret, which he retro-engineered into a crane boom and attached to a flatbed truck. He also developed a changeable letter, which he patented and later sold.

Deloris and Victor had 11 kids, 5 of whom are in 'the business' from LA to Memphis, along with some of the grandkids. Their story reflects two common threads that run through the history of signmaking:  family and innovation. I'm talking about these folks because I only just discovered them, at a time when I least expected it.  But there are so many other stories like theirs.  I only hope the American Sign Museum can honor these families and innovators in ways that they deserve.

If you know of a family like the Mack's, or your own story is one of generations of sign makers, please share your stories and/or photos by sending them to tod.swormstedt@gmail.com. Depending on what we receive, hopefully we'll be able to assemble a tribute to the 'family business' for the museum. It's an important part of our legacy.

Soapbox Media Comes to the Camp

We get a surprising amount of press, just from word of mouth.  A few days ago a reporter from Soapbox media interviewed me, then sent a photographer to gather some images. The result is the article below.  Pretty straightforward and overall a good summary of what's happening.

American Sign Museum hopes to move into renovated Camp Washington building by 2012

Soapbox, 3/9/2010

Tod Swormstedt has known for some time that he wanted to grow the American Sign Museum beyond its current 4,500 square-foot Walnut Hills location. He also knew that he wanted to grow the museum's scope as well, making it a landmark for those in the sign industry around the country. With the recent purchase of a Camp Washington factory attached to the Middle Earth Developers-built Machine Flats project, its now a reality.

The American Sign Museum will eventually use more than 42,000 square feet of space at the factory, but is initially working on 19,300 square feet of space to get started. In addition to the expanded size, the facility boasts 23-foot high ceilings that are perfect for the museum's needs.

"I looked all over town and especially along McMicken Street near the Brewery District of Over-the-Rhine but I couldn't find what I needed in my price range," said Swormstedt. "I wanted to be in OTR, but the structures there just weren't big enough, then an artist told me about the Camp Washington space and I knew right away that this was it."

The new museum space will dedicate the initial expansion to the history of signs that the Museum is well known for displaying. The additional expansion will be used as a lab area for the development of new technologies and to show off high-tech products in the sign industry. The development of new technologies is something that Swormstedt hopes to get DAAP students involved with especially with the new Terence M. Fruth/Gemini Chair of Signage Design and Community Planning endownment at UC.

"I'm hoping Cincinnati can become a signage research and resource capital," said Swormstedt. "Having the main industry magazine based here, the museum, the University of Cincinnati's College of DAAP, and the sign conference that was held by UC late last year are all helping to accomplish this."

Signs of the Times magazine is the sign industry standard his great grandfather first edited in 1906, and the publication Swormstedt himself has worked on for close to 27 years.

The operations of the American Sign Museum are also handled by Swormstedt with the help of volunteers that are often related to DAAP and College of Business students involved with the signage research endowments at UC. But the work of renovating the Camp Washington space and moving from Walnut Hills is something that will take millions of dollars in addition to the valuable volunteer work on which the museum relies.

"So far we've raised and spent $1.5 million on the former Camp Washington factory, and we need another $900,000 to open up the first 19,300 square feet," said Swormstedt. "Once we get the full amount we need we can probably build out the space in 8 months and would love to be moved by 2012."

The completed project will include the NeonWorks shop where visitors will get to see neon being made, 'Signs of Main Street' which will pay homage to the history of signs, a restoration shop, and a lab area for sign technology innovation.

Those interested in donating the project can do so in a variety of creative ways besides making an outright contribution to the museum's website, contacting Tod Swormstedt at (513) 258-4020 or tod@signmuseum.org. You can also purchase a brick paver with your name on it, or purchase a panel that you can paint and design that will be mounted on the wall at the museum's front entrance.

Writer: Randy A. Simes

Photography by Tiffany Fisher

Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

American Sign Museum hopes to move into renovated Camp Washington building by 2012

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Genies, Reporters, and Benders, oh my!

We had a perfect storm recently when Genie #2 was lifted up to his rightful place, Fox 19 came to report on it and the new site, and our new tenants, NEONWORKS, settled in and got to work. You can see a piece of it all on Fox 19's video. Can you catch the errors(s) in the report?  For more detail and pix, read on...

First, our new tenants have arrived. Neonworks had already been doing a lot of our restoration work, so it seemed only right to invite them to move into the musuem.  Not only is it a practical move, but great for museum visitors who will be able to watch the guys bend glass. Those big windows in the back look in on the main part of the museum.  As you can imagine, the Fox 19 team took a great interest in watching them work and learning a little something about the art of neon sign making. Unfortunately, they didn't get much coverage on the story that ran.  But hey, every little bit counts, right?

Which brings us to FOX 19. I got a call from one of their reporters soon after a snowfall saying she had been spending a lot of time at the salt dome, and kept seeing our 'Future Home of the American Sign Museum' sign. Could she come see what's happening?  Once it was scheduled, it occurred to us: what a perfect time to install Genie #2. So I called our friends at United-Maier Signs, Inc. to see if they could schedule the install for the same morning. Of course, it was cold and rainy, but troopers that they are, the United-Maier team was there first thing. Watching them prepare for and lift Genie #2 on to the poles in front of the museum entrance was very cool, indeed, and a milestone for those of us close to the new home project.  Video coming soon! In the meantime view a glimpse of it all in Fox 19's video.

Who's that genie, and what's he trying to tell us?

Thanks to the great guys at United-Maier Signs, Inc, Genie #2 is now gracing the entrance of the permanent home of the American Sign Museum!  Yaaayyyyy!!! 

Yes, we have a long way to go, but we've really been looking forward to getting Genie #2 in place.  Only....  now we need to decide what message he will be carrying.  And it would be nice if we could come up with a real name for him.

Any suggestions? 

See pics on flickr and be sure to watch the video about what's-his-name being transported to the new site.

Genie #2 comes to our new home!

The generously donated genies, which originally identified two of the Aladdin Carpeterias that once populated Southern California, journeyed 2500 miles to Cincinnati several years ago. They went straight to The Glass Hand in Cleves, Ohio for restoration.

Genie #1 was installed in front of the main entrance to Essex Studios where the museum now resides in April, 2005 -- just in time for the Grand Opening. He is a great landmark and greets every visitor.

Genie #2 remained at the Glass Hand awaiting restoration, and our new home's readiness. Then when the time came, United-Maier Signs, Inc., who has so generously helped us so many times over the years, became swamped with work (that's a good thing, right?).  Wasn't a problem, UNTIL...  I got the call NEW YEAR'S EVE that The Glass Hand was moving over the weekend and the landlord wanted Genie #2 gone with them,or else!  I quickly called Ken Deusing at United-Maier, and he graciously had his crew on site first thing Monday morning. Professionals that they are, Joey Beach, Matt Maier, and Richie Meece (left to right, below) braved frigid temperatures to weld, cut, weld again, lift, load, transport, and gently place Genie #2 in front of the entrance to our new home. He will be installed over the entrance as soon as weather and United-Maier's schedule permits.

Once we move to our new home, we (United Maier, that is) will install Genie #1 on the building in front of us, which faces I-75.  He will again be our beacon, inviting folks to come enjoy the American Sign Museum.

View this great video of getting Genie #2 to the Museum.

I received an email from Baranduin Briggs, who visited Cincinnati and the American Sign Museum in September, 2007.  According to the email, the museum tour was 'the highlight of my trip to Cincinnati' and is a 'must see'...

Another must see is Baranduin's wonderful recently posted images of the museum, offered here for your consideration...  enjoy...

Tod's Amazing Sign Adventures - Johnny's Big Red Grill, Ithaca NY

The 21- foot tall Johnny's Big Red Grill sign was installed in 1949. The restaurant was popular with the Cornell crowd, and the sign was designated an historic landmark.  But as with all of us, time takes its toll, and last year, the sign came down.  Lots of local institutions wanted it, but couldn't manage the cost or space required. 

So it went up for auction on eBay and was purchased by 1976 Cornell graduate Carolyn Coplan, who envisioned it as a gift for her husband to be displayed in their foyer.  Oops.  Too big!  Her search to find a good home for the sign led to the American Sign Museum, and we're glad it did!  We always prefer that a sign stay in its own community, but when that isn't possible, we're glad to help save, restore, and display these treasures.

Soooo.... off i went, enlisting the help of friend, museum patron, and board member Brian 'the Brush' Briskie. We left his home near Rochester at 0-dark-thirty and on the journey encountered rain, traffic, and an absent sign crew. We waited for the crew to arrive at the farm where the sign was being stored. Then we waited some more ...  Then we waited some more... Then the light bulb went off over Brian's head:  hey! i know a sign painter who lives around here. Maybe he can help!  And help he did.  Bob Timmerman arrived around noon with Jared Relyea and Eric Ramey.  With everyone working together, we were able to divide the sign into two smaller pieces, load it on the trailer, and strap it down for its journey to Cincinnati.

Happily, we all made it home safely, and the Johnny's Red Grill sign is already on display in the restoration shop at the museum's permanent home, which is still under construction. 

Read more about the sign, its history, and it's journey to the museum in the Cornell Sun article, and stay tuned for the next chapter of Tod's Amazing Sign Adventures !