Post #609426 by bigbrotiki on Sat, Oct 8, 2011 12:21 AM

Probably what happened to most great neon and motel signs of the 40s and 50s:

A new owner takes over the business, the sign is dilapidated and the neon is broken, he gets a quote how much renovation would cost, and decides to scrap it. There is nobody present right then and there who would be aware of its value, so it just disappears as scrap metal.

Iconic value or popularity are rarely a deciding factor on if a some architectural gem gets saved, ownership and cost is. Preservation organizations have won some battles, but most of the time it is a question of who is willing to pay for it.

Later on, when time has passed, and in retrospect, enough people have become aware of the intrinsic value of what has been lost, there is a big uproar of "How could they?" and "Why didn't somebody...?", but it really is a matter of being there at the right time, and stepping up to the plate of taking over responsibility.