The Test of Time

The museum will probably devote an entire storefront window in its new home to advertising clocks. For the anticipated exhibit, the museum made a major purchase of vintage, POP signs from local collector Dave Greene, one of the museum’s “go-to guys” for historical information on POP advertising. He’s also promoted the museum locally, regionally and nationally.

The purchase included many neon clocks, three of which are pictured. The smaller of the two “Crawford Watches” neon clocks was manufactured by Glo-Dial of Los Angeles for a short period just before World War II. Greene said this clock style, with its high-end chrome finish and countertop format, was created almost exclusively

for watch manufacturers. He knows of at least nine different brands of watch brands that utilize the Glo-Dial design.

The larger “Crawford Watches” clock, which measures 21½ in. in diameter, features a neon spinner within the clock face. Neon Action Clock & Sign Co. (NYC) manufactured the patented design for Neocraft Animations.

The hexagonal clock, known as an “Attentioneer,” features neonized numbers, which collectors prize. It, too, like the smaller Crawford Watches Glo-Dial, premiered just before World War II, but it was never offered again after the war. Neo-Lite Corp. (Cleveland) manufactured the 24-in.-diameter clock.

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Another well-known, neon, POP manufacturer, Neon Products (Lima, OH), manufactured the 9½ x 23½-in. neonized eye-glass sign in the mid- to late 1930s. The museum acquired this, plus six other POP signs, from Greene in the same transaction. The balance of these will be featured in a future column.

Thanks for the Generous Support

The donations were still being tallied in late December, but it appears that museum supporters have contributed approximately $370,000 to the $500,000 challenge grant from a museum benefactor. The challenge stipulated that the benefactor would match, dollar for dollar, all membership and paver-and-panel income, and donations specifically made to the museum’s Building Fund, by the end of 2008.

Our supporters’ generous response enabled the museum to sign the contract for the second construction phase, which began the week prior to Christmas.

Our sincere thanks to all of our supporters. For more information on construction progress, updates on our Building Fund Campaign and a who’s who of our supporters, visit the museum website, www.signmuseum.org.