An ongoing project with new signs added daily—all photographed by myself during my ten years of remote work/live travel around the globe.
Read more about that here.
I try to include some story or the history behind the sign, but there is usually nothing documented, so sometimes I let my imagination run wild and make it up.
Follow the project on Instagram @under_rocks_sarah_feeney
🔝 most recent entry.
UTAH
We’re at photos 78-82 in the #AroundTheWorldIn100Signs archive, and this batch is from other-worldly Utah. 🪐🛸👽
I nipped to #Utah whilst in Colorado for the summer of 2017 (I think).
Most of these photos are from an area that was to be demolished to make way for the railroad.
I spied the motel while returning to the airport and jumped out to photograph it.
As a result, I nearly missed my flight but am happy that I did, as the whole area will now be long gone.
(78) No Vacancy at the “Overniter Motel” with a neon-lit suitcase forming the top part of the sign.
(79) Just in case you still didn't know where you were, a couple more neon-lit “Motel” signs, this time on top of the building.
(80) Diamond Lil’s —Abandoned bar and “Red Garter” Dining Room.
Prime Rib Steaks 🥩
Home Maid Ice Cream Bread Pies🍦 🍞 🥧
(81) Painted sign at the @TattonBaird hat shop (more about that later)
(82) Hand-painted sign at Hippodrome —artist Jeff Decker's studio
Some of these photos feature in my piece “The Great American Road” in Monopod Magazine by @drphilipnewsome
Read about that here
📍Long gone, Utah
COLORADO
Signs from #Colorado. Photographed during a road trip in an RV big enough to have taken The Polyphonic Spree on tour.
(71)
Longmont Lamplighter #Motel
📠 Fax Service
☎️ Free Long Distance Calls
📅 The 1960s.
There used to be a man lighting a lamp on top of the sign.
📍Originally in various locations, but I *think this is the only one left.
See stories for an original photograph from Roadarch.com
(72)
“Welcome to colourful Colorado”
📍On the #Wyoming/Colorado border
(73)
Low rates at the Great Western Inn
📍Various locations in Colorado
(74)
City Market
Founded by the Prinster family in 1924 and taken over by the Dillons group in 1969.
📍Various locations in Colorado
(75)
Antiques sign
Marks a hut on the side of the road selling random mountain ephemera from the last 100 years.
Of course, it was closed.
📍St. Elmo, CO
(76)
Boulder Friendship Lodge YMCA
I didn’t fancy staying here, but why would I when I had the stadium-sized RV?
(77)
(Pete’s) Satire Lounge
Mixed Drinks 🍸
This neon sign has been lighting up Colefax since the 1960s when “Sugie’s” sports bar was transformed into an entertainment venue.
📍1920 E Colefax Ave, CO 80206
SALFORD
Is it only in the north that fish and chip shops operate out of residential terraced houses?
(70)
📍Chung’s Chippy
19 Oldfield Road. Salford M5 4NE
ZURICH
This sign is from the home of Dada: Cabaret Voltaire 1916, Zurich.
#Dada was a response to the carnage of the First World War, rejecting Old Europe’s ‘civilised’ values and traditions; its authority, violence, nationalism and #capitalist society.
Instead, Dada was in favour of left-wing politics, nonsense, satire, gobbledegook-poetry words, collage, funny outfits and rollicking good times at performances and happenings around the world.
It all started here.
A new #modernist philosophy, the #avant-garde, the underground, the #artist as theorist, DIY-culture, #anarchy in art and art in anarchy.
#Sign number 69 is now in the #AroundTheWorldin100Signs blog.
📍Cabaret Voltaire
EAST GERMANY
It's back to the #ColdWar era and #Germany during the East/West divide for this set of #signs and #signage.
(62)
Office block with canteen signage.
Demolished to make way for the rebuilding of the pre-WW2 Prussian palaces destroyed by allied bombing (and the GDR)
📍Potsdam, Germany
(63, 64, 65, 66)
Signs on 1960s buildings earmarked for demolition. Photographers, cosmetic shops and convenience stores on estates.
The city is so far east that it's pretty much on the Polish border.
📍 Eisenhuttenstadt: “Ironworks City”
(67)
Not sure what this signage was for, but it’s interesting as this was the year the wall came down, and the East/West divide ceased to be:
1989.
📍 The Funkhaus #DDR state radio station. 1951. 📻📡
(Which, by the way, was the largest #radio station in #EastGermany, designed by #Bauhaus architect Franz Ehrlich.)
(68)
This bit of signage is a big deal as it explains the humble smudge of white paint above it: the line which marked the border between the West and the East and the point where the Soviets and the Americans would exchange prisoners.
📍 Glienicke Bridge/Bridge of spies, Potsdam
BAUHAUS
There’s not much I need to say about this #sign.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Bauhaus twice. I had a Berlin boyfriend who loved the Bauhaus AND driving, hence my luck.
Otherwise, it’s a bit of a bitch to get to the Bauhaus; you do have to complete the journey by car.
(After posting this on the 'gram, someone let me know there is a train from Berlin that takes you right there and is—apparently—a delight.)
This photo is me proudly holding aloft the issue of @themodernist I guest-edited.
The second photo shows the original exterior signage and a newer sign that (I think) had been installed by my second visit.
(61)
Bauhaus
1925 — 1932
Designed by Walter Gropius
Typography by Herbert Bayer
📍Dessau, Germany
GERMANY
During this time, the prosperous West enjoyed International investment that saw the major rebuilding of its infrastructure and housing post-WW2. (Berlin was a blank canvas after being mostly destroyed by allied bombing).
As the West enjoyed housing projects such as the #Interbau57 with participating architects #WalterGropius and #LeCorbusier amongst many other super-stars, the East had a more regulated state-dictated aesthetic that became synonymous with the #GDR.
No complaints here, though; love a bit of the GDR aesthetic.
(57) and (58)
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
(known colloquially as “the pregnant oyster”)
1957
Architect Hugh Stubbins.
📍Tiergarten, Berlin
Signage: “Parapolitik: Kulturelle Freiheit und Kalter Kreig” —advertising the exhibition within.
In the lobby area…
Exhibition sign: “Parapolitics: Cultural Freedom and the Cold War.”
(60) and (62)
Two photos of signage on the side of the “Industrie-U. Bauglas” business premises for “Glaserei”.
Note the delicious green #mosaic and glass brick window.
📍Berlin
(59)
“Die nachste Versteigerung findet statt am : “
📍 This sign is at the information desk around the back of #Templehoff airport.
Originally designed and opened in 1927 and reconstructed by architect Earnst Sagebiel under Nazi instruction in the 1930s.
I suspect this particular area was a later, post-WW2 addition as those tiles look distinctly #60s. This picture is all about the tiles tbh.
(60)
“Silver Wings”
📍You’ll find this one around the back of Templehoff #airport, and I’m going to guess it was originally a member's lounge in the 1960s, but that’s possibly my imagination running away with me.
NEW YORK
To New York for #Signage from the TWA Terminal —now Hotel— by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen 1962.
📍 JFK Airport, NYC
(51) The distinctive red “TWA” brand signage as seen on the wall of the mezzanine level
(52) ”Cocktails” and “Food” signage on the outside pavement
(53) ”Women” sign above the original 1960s pay-phones
(54) ”Check-in”, the main lobby area
(55) 2 pictures of the departure board, endlessly clicking away even though there are no flights taking off
(56) The newspaper and drinks kiosk (what font is this?)
Is the signage a gratuitous excuse to post these pictures again?
Probably.
▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️
Personal note: So I spent a surreal and eerie 2-night stay here en route from #LA to #London slap-bang in the middle of the pandemic, end of May. It was a quick bolt for the UK in that small window between the restrictions being ‘relaxed’ (never felt less relaxed) and the shutters being slammed down again. It was a stressful and unpleasant journey, and the worst one in the last 9-years romping around the world. 🌏 🗺
There was a silver lining, though; I got to stay three nights in the utterly DESERTED TWA - my fave hotel - and I couldn’t figure out if I was in The Shining or a pleasant purgatory. It was as though the plane had come down, and I was actually in my afterlife. A rather fitting one: an airport terminal. Going out exactly as I’d been living.
LONDON
(47) South Bank Centre
📍South Bank, London
One of my all-time fave #signs, signposting the way to some of my all-time fave #buildings along the #SouthBank, London🚏
▪️National Film Theatre
▪️Hayward Gallery
▪️Queen Elizabeth Hall
(in at number 1 for me)
▪️Royal Festival Hall
▪️Festival Pier
▪️National Theatre
▪️Jubilee Gardens
(48) National Theatre
📍South Bank, London
(49) Ticket Office kiosk, National Theatre
📍South Bank, London
(50) Queen Elizabeth Hall
📍South Bank, London
This next batch (9 photos) was taken during a random walking tour around London (I do a lot of that).
You can find a couple of these walks behind the highlight buttons on my @under_rocks_sarah_feeney Instagram account. There are definitely a few for London.
(38) New Cross Post Office sorting office
📍New Cross
Closed and scheduled to be demolished?
Judging by the style of the building, I'm going to guess this is the 1960s.
(39) This way to the nearest Post Office!
This one's fixed to a Royal Mail post box.
Someone help me out here; what's the date of this? The Royal Mail/Post Office font changed regularly and can be attributed to a particular decade.
(40) Building numbers on Southhampton Row
📍Bloomsbury
Got to be the 1970s
(41) Hamilton House, also Southhampton Row
📍Bloomsbury
Note delicious 1960s tiles.
(42) D.R.M University of London Institute of Neurology Library.
📍Russell Square.
No idea what D.R.M means, but this sign has an air of the cold war about it, and in my vivid imagination, it must be a fall-out bunker or something.
(43) President Hotel
📍50-60 Guildford st. WC1N
Built in 1962 and an absolute delight.
(44) Snack Bar
Beppe's Cafe
📍23 W Smithfield EC1A
Its 1960s design and layout are still complete (as of 2021). This cafe was also featured in an episode of Sherlock (the Benedict Cumberbatch version).
The fork has seen better days.
(45) Jenny's Fish & Chips
📍Brighton.
Who doesn't love an original fish & chips sign?
(46) Hotel and India Club
📍143 Strand WC2R
This one opened in the 1970s, originally set up by the India League as a symbol of post-independence friendship, and its interior retains all of its independence-era aesthetic.
NEW JERSEY
(1) The Empress Hotel
Photo, above.
This hotel opened in 1961 and is featured on the single sleeve of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart."
Asbury Park, New Jersey, is a funny little place with all these links to Debbie Harry, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and The Ramones. Still, it’s pretty much just a boardwalk and some boarded-up 60s concrete that hopefully – if it’s lucky – won’t get forgotten about during its current renovations.
Of course, the old Victoriana stuff gets looked after first —that and the Edwardian side-show stuff.
Whilst I was there, I spoke to an acid-taking cyclist who told me how beautiful the ribbons were.
(There were no ribbons)
(2—5) PENANG, MALAYSIA
Five photos below.
Penang is a terrific place – utterly unique and has a 1930s Opium-den-vibe to it.
LONG BEACH & ORANGE, CALIFORNIA
Five photos are below.
(6) THE BEST IN TOWN
What the hell Louis III has got to do with a Burgers drive-thru (sic) is something none of us will probably ever know. Least of all Louis III as he died long before the Burger was invented.
📍555 ATLANTIC AVENUE, LONG BEACH CA
(7) BELLFLOWER BAGELS
As featured in my Way to San Jose piece in the Summer issue of @modernistmag: JOURNEY.
An example of ‘programmatic architecture’ established in the early ‘50s was signage designed to look like the thing it represented. E.g. if it’s a hot dog stand, it looks like a hot dog.
It’s a total hoot and the least earnest of architectural and design styles.
"There is the mandatory conversion of everything into a ‘drive-thru’ (sic) including a drive-thru Jesus blessing followed by coffee and a bagel”
Extract from Way to San Jose piece.
📍17025 BELLFLOWER BLVD, ORANGE CA
(8) COCO’S BAKERY RESTAURANT x 3
Founded in CA in 1948 – the business expanded in 1960 and then formalised into a ‘proper’ brand in 1965 and, by the looks of it, never changed its branding again. GOOD. Let’s not overlook that smashing concrete bin.
📍28200 S WESTERN AVE, SAN PEDRO, CA
(9) CHAR-BROILED HAMBURGERS
What the f does Char-Broiled mean?
To us Brits, that’s one of life’s greatest mysteries.
📍319, W CHAPMAN AVE, ORANGE, CA
ALBURQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
3 photos, below.
(10) MOLLY’S PACKAGE BAR & LOUNGE | 1975
As featured in my Way to San Jose piece in the latest issue of @modernistmag: JOURNEY
The original of this Honky Tonk bar was built in 1952, but it had to move back to make way for the new interstate-40, which was to replace Route 66.
Although it didn’t officially exist anymore, the original road was renamed ‘Historic Route 66’, which is where Molly’s Bar & Lounge now sits.
📍546 STATE HIGHWAY 333, TIJERAS, NM 87059, USA
(11) TRAIL RIDER PIZZA
A small trailer on Route 66 next to Molly’s Package Bar & Lounge.
The best-smelling trailer in the Old West.
📍544 STATE HIGHWAY 333, TIJERAS, NM 87059, USA
(12) MONROE’S MEXICAN FOOD
1962 / 1975
The Monroe is Monroe Sorenson (not Marilyn).
The earlier location was Rio Grande & Mountain but was demolished for a hotel and relocated to Loma Blvd – did they take this sign with them, or was it new at the time? Dunno.
📍1025 4TH ST NW, ALBURQUERQUE, NM 87102, USA
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Four photos are below.
(13) MARISCOS FAMILY RESTAURANT
"Familia and good food" is all it says about this place on its website – but what else do you need to know?
‘Nowt. I have no idea what the food is like, though, I didn’t eat there. It was all about the sign for me.
📍412 W PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, LONG BEACH, CA, USA
(14) $1 CAR WASH
Boarded-up and unloved, this ex-car wash is bound to be gawn by the time I get back to Long Beach.
Hope someone nicks the signage before they bring in the bulldozers. I’d buy that for a dollar. (What film is that from?!)
📍PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, LONG BEACH, CA, USA
(15) TRAVEL EAGLE INN
Those funny little lamps on top of the motel signs are common in Long Beach, CA. No idea why. Funny lamps like that are common everywhere – not just on Motel signs. So are those ACE "Color TV by RCA" signs – how I want one.
📍PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, LONG BEACH, CA, USA
"It was the kind of Motel you’d expect to find in a not-ending-well pulp fiction thriller about an American road trip circa. 1960"….
Extract from my piece The Great American Road: Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn from Monopod magazine.
ALBUQUERQUE | NEW MEXICO
An OLD Route 66 / Breaking Bad sign special. 🌵 🌞
Route 66 was established in 1926 – nearly 100 years ago, bonkers.
The Ford Factory in Detroit had been churning out new-fangled Model Ts since 1908.
(The UK didn’t manage to squeeze out a Motorway till 1958.)
Businesses along Route 66 prospered, but the highway was removed from the US Highway system in 1985 and completely replaced by a new bypass: the Interstate Highway System.
Although it didn’t officially exist anymore, the original roads were instead renamed ‘Historic Route 66’, a bit of which runs through New Mexico – which is where I picked it up.
The once prosperous businesses aren’t strictly ghosting towns, but they do have a bit of that vibe and are stuck in a kind of weird mid-80s preserved state.
(16) GARCIAS CAFE
Two photos below.
📍1736 Central Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, United States
1974– also appeared in an episode of Breaking Bad. The sign was restored in 2015.⠀
"Time has lost meaning, the usual day-to-day punctuation is absent and habits loosely associated with day and night are abstract: Breakfast is served all day; the beer is always cold, rooms are by the hour and conflicting signs often sit right next to each other."
Extract from Way to San Jose piece as featured in @themodernist magazine.
(17) MAISEL'S INDIAN TRADING POST
Two photos are below.
📍2004 S Plaza St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, United States
Founded 1923. Featured the artwork of Native American artisans. The building is in the Pueblo Revival style by architect John Gaw Meem.
The murals are original, and they depict Native American life, painted by Oliver Rush and several Pueblo and Navajo artists.
(18) OLD HIGHWAY 66
This sign marks the original Route 66, post-1985.
(19) THE DOG HOUSE DRIVE-IN
📍1216 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, United States
Appeared in an episode of Breaking Bad. Established 1940s – is the sign from then? Don’t know. Probably not.
LONG BEACH | CALIFORNIA
Not so long ago, I wrote a piece for @monopod about Motels, tbh I could bang on about them all day, but here are a couple of belters from the last month or so.
If I go full 80s Nikki Sixx it’ll be in some sleepy run-down American motel.
Fits the criteria and my bank balance. (Which is nowhere near Mötley Crüe’s.)
(20—21) CITY CENTRE MOTEL
Two photos, below
📍255 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802, USA
(22) DON’S TURF MOTEL
📍4732 Katella Ave, CA 90720
Opened in 1959 in Los Alamitos, CA.
(23) ANGEL MOTEL
📍2330 W Chapman Ave Orange CA 92868
The rather sad, faded glory of Angel Motel has definitely seen better days since it first opened in the 1930s. One of those places suddenly found itself on top of a roaring freeway exit as the road system evolved around it. In this case, the 57 freeway exit in Orange.
These two are both in Chicago – the Alamo shoe store sign is from 1971, and the Jesus Saves is from 1940. The Church began as a small mission from the Philadelphia Church in Sweden – 1926 – for the Swedes passing through.
(24) JESUS SAVES
📍5437 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640-1220
(25) ALAMO SHOE STORE
📍5322 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(26) ERIE LASALLE BODY SHOP & CAR CARE CENTRE
Can't find anything online about this sign, but the company has been in business since 1934 and as this is an original sign, I'm going to guess it's from the late 50s/60s.
📍Downtown-River West, 1005 W. Huron St. Chicago IL, 60642
CONEY ISLAND | NEW YORK
(27) NATHAN’S FAMOUS
Three photos are below.
📍1310 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Established in 1916 by Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker as a nickel hotdog stand on Coney Island.
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
"Each sign is more than the sum of its informative parts, offering something your Sat Nav will never point you in the direction of...nostalgia.
Signs for gas stations, car-washes, diners, truck stops and motels – all characterising the look and feel of the particular state they’re obediently introducing"…
This latest crop of signage photos is all featured in my Way to San Jose piece in the latest issue of The Modernist #35 JOURNEY. It’s on sale now via @modernistmag – link in their profile (not mine).
(28) CHAPMAN CAR WASH
Two photos are below.
The sign is from 1977; other than that, I can’t find out much more about it.
📍Chapman Ave Garden Grove, CA
(29—30)
The next two photos are just a couple of delicious 60s and 70s signs from Orange and Long Beach.
SOUTH WEST ENGLAND
This selection of signs is from the UK and a road trip taken around the south-west with @thomas_skou in January 2017.
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Note my personal two #Kodak faves, one of which is a window decal featuring “Kodak colour film and prints”.
🟢🔴⚫️🔵🔴🟡
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Both the decal and the wall sign are from a chemist in #Bristol, the chemist itself being a treat as it’s in its original Regency state.
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Also featured is the iconic #LandsEnd signpost situated at the very last point in the UK before hitting the Atlantic.
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Also featured; is a Penzance ➡️ St. Ives sign featuring the classic = 🅿️ ℹ️ 🚾 ♻️ symbols we all love.
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Depositing all of these in the Around the World in 100 Signs blog:
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(31-32) Kodak
📍#Bristol
(33) A.H Chemist c. 1826
📍8 Argyle Street, Bath, BA2
(34)
📍St Ives ➡️ Penzance
(35) Lands End
John O’ Groats ⏩ New York
(36) Lands End Temperance House
Two photos, below
(37) Bakery
📍Sidmouth
