Neon Sign Rescue and Restoration
Like many historic American cities, downtown San Jose, California has its share of old neon signs. Back in that day, these illuminated beauties lighted the way to theatres, restaurants, bars, and businesses of all kinds. Sadly, as the city has grown and modernized, many of these glowing signposts are at risk of being lost forever.
Luckily, we have History San Jose. This vibrant local preservation organization keeps a close watch on the city’s historic treasures and has become the repository of an amazing storehouse of artifacts that chronicle life in the Santa Clara Valley from early times to today.
History San Jose has successfully recovered, and safely stored in their collections warehouse, a number of vintage neon signs from local businesses no longer in operation. Farrington was very pleased to fund the restoration of two of the city’s most iconic signs -- the Carroll and Bishop smoke shop and Wing's Chinese restaurant.
The Carroll and Bishop cigar store neon sign adorned the front of the popular establishment once located on Santa Clara Street, downtown San Jose. Besides eponymous cigars, Carroll and Bishop sold cigarettes, tobacco and smoker supplies, chewing gum, candies and mints, magazines and newspapers from all over the world, racing forms, soda pop, and some liquor. It is remembered as a “classy” gathering place by long-time local customers.
The Wing's neon sign illuminated the front of a popular, long-running restaurant located on Jackson Street in San Jose’s Japantown. Wing's Chinese Restaurant served Mandarin and Szechwan cuisine from 1925 until it closed in February, 2019. It held the distinction of being San Jose’s oldest full-service restaurant.
Diners climbed to the 2nd story of an old wooden building to enter the restaurant's dimly-lit, red and gold interior. Equipped with hanging Chinese paper lanterns, beaded curtains, red-flocked wallpaper, booths with buzzers to call the waiter to your table, and small, private dining rooms, Wing's must have seemed extremely exotic to visitors in the 1920s and 1930s. To add to the fun, when illuminated, the wings on the colorful neon sign that decorated the building actually flapped like flying bird wings.
History San Jose has restored other iconic neon signs from San Jose’s past, including the famous Stephen’s Meat Products “Dancing Pig” and the Orchard Supply Hardware signs. Both currently illuminate the grounds of San Jose's History Park in the evening. One of the Park's long-range plans is to restore every sign in the collection and display them for all to enjoy in a colorful, sparkling “Neon Courtyard.”