Q
Joined: Dec 29, 2005
Posts: 140
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Q
Tikicleen,
I used to work as a designer for the once great Ad Art Sign Company in Stockton. I left a few years ago shortly before it closed, but currently work with one of the old foreman who stayed on until the bitter end, around 2001. He told me that they threw out probably 20 filing cabinets of prints and original drawings before he left. I nearly cried. Ad Art did the original Islander sign in Stockton as well as many of the old casino signs in Vegas. I'm sure Chuck Bernard, one of the original designers and art directors for the company still has some of the casino sign designs (as well as Betty Willits, the designer of the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign), but unfortunately, a lot of the people that worked there had no real appreciation for googie design/architecture and treated the material accordingly. They did restaurant and hotel signs all over California (including Disneyland), Las Vegas and the world from the 50's to 2001, but unfortunately it seems all that history went to the dump except for a few stray pieces that some salesmen took away with them. It truly was an end of an era when that place closed its doors.
By the way, that little dude to the left on the drawing is affectionately refered to as a "goon" in the trade!
[ Edited by: quickiki 2006-04-17 10:07 ]
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