October 21, 2024 • 66 mins
Stefanie Poteet - @retroroadsidephotography - joins the show and we talk about her Hero arc from college graduate to Cross Country Voyagers to where she is at today. It was a blast having her on the show and I'm sure we could talk for a few more hours in the future.
Correction: The Montana Bar I was talking about is in Miles City, MT and sits on US 12 just north of Interstate 94 in the Treasure State.
(Stefanie with an f not a ph, my apologies Stefanie! )
You can follow Stephanie at these places:
Instagram
Flickr
Website.
Correction: The Montana Bar I was talking about is in Miles City, MT and sits on US 12 just north of Interstate 94 in the Treasure State.
(Stefanie with an f not a ph, my apologies Stefanie! )
You can follow Stephanie at these places:
Flickr
Website.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Welcome everybody to International Sign Finders. Glad you're back with us.
Last week we had a great conversation with Heather david Man.
If you do not have San Jose on your bucket list,
you gotta add it. I know we talk about Los
Angeles and San Francisco and San Diego, but don't forget
San Jose's third largest city in California. Get on out
(00:37):
there and put that on your bucket list and hopefully
you got out got some great pictures, some Neon signs,
even hand painted signs. Those are very worthy as well.
This is really good hand painted signs if you really
look for them. I still wish I could have gotten
the book out of La where they just took photos
of all those hand painted signs on the front of storefronts.
(00:58):
I will kick myself for not doing that. But tonight
we have a great guest. As all our guests are great,
we've got another distinguished guest. She's been highlighted on hgtv
UH the Boston Globe. Quicksilver. Now that's an interesting one.
I have to ask about that one. She is a
(01:18):
road warrior. She is a rover and a goer and
a getter. She's probably put almost as many miles as
Deborah Jane and that's why, Well, I don't know you've
come close. You said three hundred thousand. I think she's
up to almost a half a million now, uh.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, I believe that.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
So Welcome to the show, Stephanie Pote, which has to
be one of the most Southern names I have come
across in a while. Welcome to the show, Stephanie.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah. So I know that you're pretty People know you
in the side community. But for those who are just
breaking into this hobby or just listening to the podcast
because they're like, this is a strange little podcast, is
listen to it interest? Use yourself to the whole crew.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Okay, Well, my name is Stephanie Potite. I started photographing
signs shortly after I graduated college. Yeah. I had always
been interested in photography, but after I bought my first
camera while in college. Actually it was like the hunt
(02:28):
for what interests me. Yeah, and one day on a
cross country road trip, hold a moving truck into the
parking lot of the sup Homo Hotel in Sligman, Arizona.
And I know people from Arizona will tell me that
I'm saying it wrong. I'm sorry, but photograph the Supamo
Hotel and absolutely film uff. That was it. I had
(02:50):
found my subject matter and it was signs. So a
few years later I did the Chasing on road trip.
I kind of came out of nowhere. People had never
heard of me. Who are you? What are you doing?
I actually a lot of people who referenced ever Jane
and they're like, you know, she does this, She's not
asking for finding on a Kickstarter project. Why should we
(03:13):
support you? And you know my approach to which devor
Jane's fantastic, but you know, I'm a twenty something year
old kid trying to travel the country and photograph me
on signs. Beth Lennon My Betty's response was a rising
tied lifts all boats, which I thought was a brilliant thought.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
So the more attention we can bring to these signs,
the better chance we have of people recognizing them, appreciating them,
wanting to protect them, preserve them and keep them, you know,
either in the wild or find a place for them
in a museum or in a protected space so that
people can continue to see them and appreciate them. One
(03:54):
on the line my my Kickstarter project was I want
to photograph the Blue Swallow motel into Compare Arizona, so
that generations from now a child can stand under that
sign and stare in all Yes, because that's what I
think Neon does, right, And so since then it's Neon
(04:16):
signs are are my my nights and weekends whenever I
can can make it possible. If I'm traveling, it's it's
for Neon. People will literally ask me why are you
going there? With answers beyond why are you going to
Denver with Neon? Why are you going here Neon?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
And then why are you in some of the worst
parts of town Stephanie, Well, there's a Neon sign there,
so here I am.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yes, I know what you're talking about, because I've gone.
I've told my wife where I've gone in Houston. I
don't know if you've been to Houston chasing down Neon.
A lot of it's newer, but you know, I I'll go.
I had a goal in mind to get all eighty
eight super neighborhoods, get a picture of a sign or
(05:00):
Neon sign or some cool sign from all eighty eight
super neighborhoods in Houston. It's a tall task. It took
me about a year and a half, I think, And
I tell her, yeah, I was a fifth ward. I
was in Sunnyside, I was in South Main or ost
And she's like, you were ware.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
You did what?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Oh yeah, And one thing I really enjoy what you
just said was, you know, a rising tide lifts all
the boats. That's kind of like. Uh. When I had
a conversation with Nick Gerlach, who's another road warrior, He's
the king of Google map pins, he broke it. He
broke Google Maps basically. Uh. He said that just because
(05:45):
the sign has been you know, people have taken photographs
of that sign before, doesn't mean we don't need another one.
We watch yours, and yours adds to the history of
the whole experience. And so, you know, you get people
who are you know, there's several up in Dallas, there
are quite a few up in Chicago, Denver. Has you
(06:07):
know Mark fifty two eighty signed Peeper, Corky and Todd
and Martie. Yeah, yeah, those guys are just amazing. And
so everyone has a different ability, has a different way
of viewing it and a different way of sharing it,
and it all comes into the collective database, data bank, database,
(06:31):
databank database, yeah, database, yeah, is well on.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
The collective, like cultural consciousness.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I mean it's yeah, because I know, for me, I
always forget that I've seen signs or I think I've
seen a sign, but I miss placed where I's at.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Like there's a sign I saw somewhere in southern California,
probably like ocean side, and it kind of stuck with
me a little bit, but it didn't stick enough to
you know. This is two thousand five, two thousand and six.
I was going to my buddy's wedding in San Diego,
and I just remember seeing this cool looking like old
neon side for a trailer park. I just can't remember
(07:09):
it was off the five, but that kind of stuck
in my mind. That's one of the you know, the
many different UH avenues that got me into this hobby,
besides Spike and I. Maybe I'll tell you that story
later on, But in two thousand and eight, you were
(07:30):
just graduating college. You're in Seligman or how do they
pronounce it.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think they pronounced it Seligman. You know. For some reason,
Seligman is what I say. But I've definitely been told like,
now you're saying that wrong and despite my best efforts
to say it correctly. Same as you know, I no
one like sway I say Amarillo either, and that's fine.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
It's like me is saying frou, I'm so North Carolinian
when it comes to that that instead of saying Pharaoh,
hopefully I'm saying it right there, I say fay Robe
and Jader. It's just that seeking eastern North Carolinian accent.
But after you took a picture of that first sign,
(08:18):
what I know you said you're hooked but your mind space,
because I believe that's a you know, when when you're
taking pictures of signs, you got to a plan out
where it's at b fine parking or like me, do
a drive by. But see there's that awe factor, the
off factor beforehand and after what what what do you
(08:40):
remember the next few miles after you took a picture
of the Soup Pike Motel.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Briefly only because there's also the Root sixty six motel
down the street on Sex Wow, right, yes, right, So
like you you get the Soupie and then you drive
down and here's the Root sixty six motel. The blue
and red shield.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And and then after that I would have to pull
up my archives right and like go through, like chronologically,
what did I I photograph next? Yeah, because I was
driving from San Diego where I dawned college to Boston,
where I would live for the next little over a year.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
That's a road and a half.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Oh yeah, and and did it? Did it in a
moving truck in four and a half days.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
There's gotta be a record there.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Maybe, I mean, we did sleep, but I don't believe you,
you know. And then the crazy thing was, like I
just moved now from San Diego, which is you know, California,
which is just Neon Heaven, to Boston, where their version
of old is pre dating Neon. So trying to find
an Neon sign in Boston was a little more of
a struggle. I still found them. They're still there. They're beautiful,
(09:54):
They're wonderful. I love them. Thank you, Boston, fantastic city.
But you know, I was almost mourning the fact that
I had found my subject matter as I was leaving
the state, you know. So I would photograph me on
there and post it. But for the longest time, I
you know, thought I was crazy. I am, That's fine.
(10:16):
I might be yes, but like in terms of who
else photographs signs?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I once had someone say to me like, you don't
you don't photograph people? What's that about? And I was like, no,
photographing people is hard. Photographing signs like speak to me,
I literally see art?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
You know, yes, yes, so yeah, that's a good place
to uh the segue to the next segment, I See Art.
So the name of the first segment will be we'll
just call it, give it a name. Introduction to Stephanie's
Neon Extravaganza. Over the next what almost twenty Oh my gosh.
(11:00):
I graduated in two thousand and seven from college myself,
and I can't believe it's been twenty seven years.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Uh yeah, yeah, seven seven h seventeen years.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yes, yes, yeah, me and math. It's it's late at night.
But when we come back, we're going to we're going
to venture into the title of our next segment, I
See Art. You're listening to International Science Finders. Welcome back
(11:46):
to International scien Finders. Glad you're with us. We have
roadside photography is a retro roadside photography? Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That's correct?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Oh, I I will I will look at your handle
like fifteen times and still forget it.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
It's awful.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah yeah, I like Houston sign hunting. That's that doesn't
flow off the tongue very well either, but yours does.
Here's Here's makes more sense than mine does. So retro
roadside photography Stephanie Potee. She's got an amazing backstory already.
It is a heroes backstory, not a villain backstory. He's
(12:27):
a hero backstory because now we've seen her origin story
driving across country and Seeligman ari ag Zona. At least
you're not pronouncing Prescott. It looks like Prescott, but it's Prescott.
I learned that as being around Arizona's So we've just
gone from San Diego to Seligman all the way out
(12:47):
to Boston, and now you know, Boston has like a
niner scene. Talking with Richard Gutman, you know, he's kind
of from the he went to school in Cornell, he
did some stuff in Boston and that Northeast corridor, and
you know, he is the man when it comes to diners.
Just he knows as he's in his cues very well.
(13:09):
And it just seems like there's that diner scene up
in the Northeast. Maybe I'm just looking too far into it.
I'll admit that. And if you're listening, Richard, if I
need to be corrected, let me know. Now we go
into the icy art. I I interviewed Lisa Tennant art.
(13:30):
She does watercolors of neon signs, like hyper realistic water colors, paintings,
the art behind these, because it seems like all these
MCM the midsign tree, modern, the you know the Googi
there in southern California, you know the Denver signs, all
of them have a U me quality to each and
(13:50):
every single one of them. When you say I see art,
what do you mean?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I mean, I see the ten years it took someone
just to be bad at bending neon tubes. Yes, I
see the intentional selection from state size color or colors. Right,
What color does that tube look like in the daylight?
What color does it glow at night? How does that
(14:17):
color reflect off the paint that you've selected. The fact
that signs are designed to be better viewed from the
middle of the street, right, They're intended to grab roads,
you know, a motorist, not someone walking down the sidewalk.
I joke that I have my plane in traffic expert
level badge. Oh yeah, because if I can get in
(14:41):
the middle of the street to photograph a sign, that
is absolutely what I will do without without fail. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Have you stood on the top of your van yet
to take a picture of a sign?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I don't have a van. I really, I joke, I joke.
I need a starecar. Yeah, yes, I really want a starecar.
I I would love clippers and you know, a safety
hat and a vest and a clipboard. So people, leave
me alone, all of those things.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
I know what I'm doing. Go away, this is this
is important historical work.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Leave me alone, and have like a stamp in your hand,
just a case where somebody comes up, you just stamp
like whatever they're holding. It's like, I'm official, leave me alone.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That'd be perfect, that'd be perfect. Yeah. So I just
that is what I see, you know, intentional selections made
by artists and designers. So yes, like these these signs
are intended to advertise, but they're also standalone pieces of
(15:47):
the best that multiple you know people could put together.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, because it's all.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Done by hand. Right, Your kneon can built by hand
by skilled machinists. You're right, Glass tubes. You're paint down
to the person who designed the sign and the business
who said, yeah, that's my sign, right man. Yeah, there
wasn't a computer involved. I know people who make signs
(16:14):
today and they're still not a computer involved.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
You know, moggles my mind that you know a lot
of it's like hand drawn architecture blueprints and you go
from there. Yes, could you imagine doing Vegas VICKI? Or
what's the big cowboy that smokes in uh Las Vegas, Vegas?
Vic Vegas Big? Of course is Vegas Big.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
I can't, but I believe his brother in Nevada has
a different name. But yes, I know it is Vegas
Vick and VICKI. Yeah, but doing those doing those by hand,
or the miles of tubing that went into that Rio
sign that stood on the freeway that was made here
(16:59):
and at Art and LOUDI not far from where I live.
In fact, one of the guys who worked for at
Art is still doing two bending here and stock it
after Roger.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Now that's beyond an art. It isn't hard for him yet,
but it seems like something beyond. He has a craft.
It's so much more. But as Dallas don enthusiasts kind
of put it. You know, this is one of the
few art forms that has to be out in the weather,
has to be out in the elements, has to deal
(17:29):
with all the stuff that's thrown at it, birds, rocks,
cars crashing into them. Believe it or not. It has
to survive. So there has to be a love and
a passion for this or that's with everything, you know,
But it seems like it's kicked up to the next
level because now you've got this huge, like you said,
(17:53):
miles miles of tubing that is standing on the side
of the road. It may have some blinking so you
get a figure in and what what is it? The uh?
It turns them on and off?
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Or is it can the transport the transformers? Right, so
you have multiple transformers, you have to wire. If you
have an animator, you have to work into the circuit yeah, right,
and yeah, and that's that's that's on top of all
of the other aspects. Right. Not only is it crafted
by hand from metal and glass and noble gases and paint,
(18:25):
but then you have electricity and wiring and circuitry, and
every every piece is hand selected, hand installed. It's art
of of the highest form and it's you know, created
by a team. No single person that I know of
has ever made ane on sign. You know, they had
(18:48):
entire sign shops filled with people to do this, which
is you know, part of the reason why you have
like regional differentiation in science is because you had regional
sign shops. Which is another wonderful topic toscussed with hew
O the David if you guys didn't get.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
There, well we didn't even go close, not even in
the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah, sometimes I will take pictures of the little emblems
you guse. Sign shops would have their own emblems and
some of them to have their David because I know
that they're a you know, sign shops she'd written.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
About, so like EPOU talking about and how you know
they they basically theyenagled. They worked around the local laws
to create a sign that was just like you know,
just a finger to the eye to the local municipality
saying we're going to do what we want to do.
(19:42):
It's just the story behind that's amazing. You could do it.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Have you seeing the Western Appliance sign.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Only from pictures. I need to get back out to California.
It's been it's been too long, let's just put it there.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
When I say massive, it is stumungous. Yeah, I'm pretty
sure if it fell over it would flatten my house, right, Like,
I don't live in San Jose. But that is how
majestic that sign is and how large it is. It's extraordinary.
(20:15):
Heather might have exact measurements. I've never tried to look
them up, but it is easily one of the largest
signs I've seen, particularly for one that's not in Las Vegas, right,
that's not on the top of a skyscraper. I know
scaffolding signs are quite large, but for something that sits
over top of a single story building of a regular
(20:36):
street in San Jose, it is.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Which is the size of the Greenbill? I know it's
a scaffolding size, but the Greenbill in Minneapolis.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
It may have. It's Minneapolis. I have only seen that
sign in person once and it was from across the bridge,
so I couldn't tell you. The best place to photograph
it is from across the bridge, So that's where I
photographed it from, and that was in twenty fourteen, So
I don't know. I suspect that the Grand bel Beer
(21:08):
sign is larger because it is quite massive. But yeah,
I mean it's it's still up there men.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah. Talking to just sign here at an Minneapolis. He
talks about, you know, it's just immense, huge sign and
that will bring us to the end of our second segment.
What should we call the third segment?
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Oh gosh, where do we go from here?
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Okay? The road trip of twenty fourteen and have that
plan it out? Okay, yeah, I just made I just
made your life complicated.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Didn't I You did? You absolutely did?
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Well that's what I do. Yeah, that's so you're listening
to Edison National side Finders. Welcome back to International Scienfinders.
(22:15):
Glad you're with us. We have the one and only
Stephanie Poteit Retro Roadside Photography. Go and find her website
Retro Roadsidephotography dot com. Follow her on Instagram. Are you
on Flicker as well?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I am on Flicker? Okay, you're seeing what my handle
is on Flicker. I have been on Flicker so long
I don't even remember anymore.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
I just put it in the show notes if.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Okay, I think it's Hoteit Photo, but no one can
ever spell my now last name correctly. So and let
us you've been to pot Texas.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
But no, I just remember it from a kid. I
think there was some sports figure named Poteit or something
like that, or I heard it. It's like, that's such
a weird name. It's kind of like in parts of
eastern North Carolina you have the Midgets, which is spelled
Mitchell with an elten. So it's one of those unique
last names that you just remember and you're like, Okay,
(23:11):
it just sticks in your mind. Uh, like my real
last name, because Abernathy is my radio names, my real
last name is basically Ocean Cemetery. I'll just leave it
at that. I'll tell you what it is afterwards. But
it's a unique one too. So we've talked about this
is art. We had the intro the hero arc beginning
(23:34):
of Stephanie's neon sign career two segments ago. Now we're
in the forty eight and four forty eight states, four months,
twenty seven thousand miles. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Yeah, that's correct.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Oh my gosh. How do you Let's take a state
like South Dakota. No, no, No, let's go even more
sparse Wyoming. Wyane's got a lot are cool signs it does?
How do you tackle a state like Wyoming.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Poorly, it is the answer.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
It's straight forward.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Ye. So you know the funny thing they never tell
you is that our United States map is not actually
to scale.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
No it's not.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
No, it's not. So what looks like twenty minutes in
Wyoming is an hour if you're lucky, if you're lucky,
if you're lucky.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Traveled across that crazy state. So a few times you're
so great.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
It is you're like, yeah, it's just down the street. Nope,
no it's not. It is absolutely not just down the street.
Two hours have passed by, and now you're approaching the
three hour tour and you have yet to find the
city you are looking for.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yes, rock Springs, you're on. Not.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
I love Rock Springs. I love Rock Springs.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I need to get into Rock Springs. I've done Rawlins, okay,
but I've only passed through Rock Springs. I got one
sign in Rock Springs. It was I it was like
it was a diner sign. I can't remember off the
top of my head, but just seeing like Deborah James database,
you're like, I'm sad. Like the one liquor store it's
(25:24):
a Titan Go. It's a store that has an amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
The massive sign yepah, it's.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Joe's Joe's Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, and they recently restored that if I recall no way,
that's all yes. And then there's the motel sign that
is exquisite. You're gonna make me pull up my archives.
I I adored Rock Springs. I actually I loved Wyoming.
So we started off in a rg mm hmm, right many, Winnie.
(25:55):
No one told me that that many when he meant
we would summit mountains. That's about fifteen miles an hour?
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Uh huh? Did they have been six? Inity?
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I think it was a straight four. It was the lightest,
smallest RV you could get from like the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Oh, I'll just tell you, yes, what I lived in
East Idaho. We would go over to Jackson Hole every
so wakay, and that's that is a climb. Uh yeah,
from Victor to Jackson and I had a four banger
and I think at the summit I was doing twenty
five miles an hour and you're in a mini winning Yeah, yeah,
(26:32):
straight four. Oh my gosh. That reminal.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Right, So you you just right, you you charge the
mountain as best you can and by the time you
get to the top, you have you know, eighteen wheelers
spunking at you, and you're like, I can't go any faster, man,
I'm sorry. Not what I had in mind. Uh, I
was not a sand A dance notice at dance notice
(26:56):
would have been great on that once. So we actually
we parked Miniwity in ong Been. My great aunt lived
there and rented a supero because the Pacific Northwest in
Minuity was was not going to be conducive to actually
getting getting stuffed doune. So my sister and I and
(27:19):
her dog rented this SUPERU and you know, lived out
in the superarroo for the Pacific Northwest. Yes, Wyoming was
that wasn't twenty minutes toward Wyoming fantastic signage. And then
got into Montana and was completely bowled over.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
I kicked myself because I've been up to Wolsen, Montana,
which is north of Missoula, just south of Kalispell, and
is class Oh my gosh, the fly half way the
Blue Mountains just amazing. I wish I would have taken
more time in Butte, in Anaconda, in buildings even still
(28:02):
in Montana.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Just maybe it's Dylan, but I hit the rest of them, okay,
and then and then Missoula, the Livingston Motel. I want
to spend the night in the Livingston Motel.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Uh the is it?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
The Murray Hotel and Livingston with this beautiful vertical sign
and the bar on the side. It's extraordinary, one of
the kind. Never seen anything like it, you know, And
so you you plan?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Have you me? I'm trying to do the same.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
I don't think that has it looks like it's a
plastic sign. What town is it in Livingston?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
The Murray Hotel and Livingston Murray?
Speaker 1 (28:50):
M hm.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
So it's the blue and pink sign on the corner
it is? It is not the So the lettering is
pink and the sign itself is blue, and it's this
like triangular sign that works its way up vertically and
then there's almost a marquee that comes out from the
corner of the building to support that vertical.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
You have got to be kidding me. This is amazing, right,
I will, I will have a if you've got one
in your databases, ach and snag, we'll put that on
the show promo. You've got to see this sign. If
you're just listening, I know this is a part of
the podcast that is really hard to do because we're
(29:37):
talking about signs and you want to see them. But
we'll have a picture of this up on the promo.
It is how do you describe it? I mean, it's
got the double arrows, right.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
It's almost Google but not quite yeah, Alan for me,
I understand, So it's not quite but it's almost Google inspired.
But it's on a brick building, right, so there's maybe
maybe it's a little more space age give it some
Jetson's vibes. Very good god, right, but then you have
(30:13):
the the you know, cursive font. But someone right when
I say it, I see art. Someone mind came up
with that brilliance and decided to adorn the corner of
that building in a way that I have never seen
done before.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I mean, how big is living Ston or yeah, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Don't mean to offend living Stone, but I don't very
you know, compact downtown. Also, when I travel to these places, right,
I see downtown's, I see the places that are sign heavy.
I don't necessarily see the rest of the town or
the city. I'm working on it. My recollection of living
Stin is very specifically their downtown. Yet remember a railroad
(31:01):
being there.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
But I think I've got a buddy from living so
to be honest with you, and I'm kicking myself for
not'm visiting him.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Well, your buddy from Livingston should be telling you what's there.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
You're not kidding. He's very much He was a basis
for several bands. You know. You you see a band
get up there, like a ska band, and they're all
kind of, you know, rock star kind of looking, and
here's him in like a collar polo and khakis, heeping
up with the guys. So you see that guy on
(31:36):
the stage, you know you're in for a rough night.
He's gonna he's gonna tear you up. But you know,
in montana's like that. There's like the Montana Bar in
all it's a town south of Glasgow, Montana. It's like that.
(31:58):
That strip is a US high way. Uh, it's gonna
slip my mind. Which US highway. It is kind of
goes through the middle just north of I ninety right
before and there're just tons of little towns. There's one
called the Montana Bar. It's kind of like the shape
of Texas is a mid century modern shape. Montana is
(32:19):
one two. It's such a cool little bar. And I'm
just like you know, Jackie Ophoto cook like a month
in Wyoming alone, yeap, And she came back with so
many things like little town like do Boys. I know
I'm jumping around, I apologize, but at Tanna Do Boys,
(32:41):
nine hundred people, I believe on main Street has three
of the reddest, most awesome Neon size that you'll find anywhere.
And then at the end of the town is the
trails in which is kind of like trails in motel
in Denver. I mean I was. It was one in
the morning. I was the only one to wake my
wife and my kids were asleep in the van, and
(33:02):
your dark too, and I stopped in the middle of
the street to fish. Yeah, but Wyoming is it's a
different world than Montana. Oh my gosh. What other state
did you find to be like absolutely interesting when they
came to all forty eight or interesting? Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Yes, where what.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Other place really where you're like sears? Like Nebraska that's
something like that?
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Uh well, yes, all of them. All of them is
a terrible answer, you.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Know, it's it is the only answer, right, it.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Is, It is the only answer. I'd also I'd only
been through like Idaho to visit family, so you know,
all of the STUFFI mark West was fantastic. Texas. I
had been to Texas to visit a friend, but not
not seen much of Texas. Nexas is also a very
(34:03):
massive state. I said, I still haven't made it to Houston.
I was actually supposed to go, and I arrived the
weekend after I believe it was Harvey. Yeah, and flooded,
and so my intended triangle of Dallas to Houston to
San Antonio and back to Dallas had to be diverted
because Houston was very sadly underwater and trying to dig
(34:26):
itself out.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I'll just moved here like we'd been here a month
and then Harvey hit. And luckily we're in an area
the Umble North, like Harris County is based in Houston,
so the north northeast side. We were on Taska See
to Umble and we were outside of the floodplain for
(34:47):
the most part. Now next to the beltline flooded. Well,
it's amazing the devastation a storm like that can have,
and it'll still surprise you every single time. Kind of
like you gave kind of a on your Instagram feed.
You gave a I don't want to say you LEGI
that sounds so horrible, but you gave a memorial a
(35:12):
shout out to Western. I'm using the worst words possible.
I apologize my North Carolina brethren and sister. And you
had the Western? Was it the Western or the Mountaineer?
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Which is the mountain? The Mountaineer from Asheville. Yes, because
I did come through North Carolina in twenty fourteen. I
had never been there. Yeah, North Carolina, South Carolina. I
loved the entire like drive up the eastern seaboard, and
I did so. I remember Ashville being this doorable place.
(35:45):
I know it's, you know, larger that you wouldn't necessarily
think adorables is the word you come up with, but
like that was the feel I had was it was
this adorable community. And I didn't realize until all of
these post started coming in about the damage from ur
Kaethalene that a lot of the artisans I follow and
the vintage resellers that I follow are in Asheville, and
(36:08):
so to see the absolute devastation of their their spaces,
their livelihood, their homes, deck community was was heartbreaking.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Because that is a South row in a way like
you start with, I'm gonna say just south the Tryon.
There's a uh, there's a town I can't remember the
name of it, just south of the North Carolina, North Carolina,
South Carolina, border Landrum so Land, South Carolina. Ryan, I
think you work your way up to Asheville is kind
(36:40):
of like an antique row in so many old schools,
and all the area was just hammered.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Yeah, cammered, and that's you know, that's terrible on on
so many levels. And so you know, of course, like
we asked about signs, but it's also it's more than signs, right,
it's I, you know, want the community of Asheville to recover, Sir.
(37:10):
I hope the mountain near reopens. But I remember I
remember Ashville being very dormble, and I would love to
see it be that again. Just like Todd out of
ste Florida, he's you know, been posting about, you know,
the signs in Saint Pete. But who've been watching that too,
(37:32):
because there was definitely devastation in Saint Pete. I saw
that the crane had fallen, right, the fabergroot for the
Tropicana is gone. Also a baseball fan, so like seeing
that stadium was just Oh.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
So Todd from Saint Peter's what what's his handling?
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Vintage Neon?
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I believe is his handle following him? That is?
Speaker 2 (37:53):
That is, he makes incredible signs, like miniature signs. He
did yes sand Man, Yes, yes, he did the Sandman.
So so he has posted the Sandman Survived. He also
posted the signs down. I don't remember the street name,
but it's the Landmark Hotel, the Banyon Tree and so
(38:18):
where you know you were talking about how Nick says
that your photographs help you know with the history of
the sign that was That was Todd's question. So the
side panel of the banion is gone and the parking
little sign from beneath the motel sign is gone. Does
anyone have recent pictures to compare? So I went back
to my archives. Last time I was there was in
(38:39):
twenty twenty one, and I was like, okay, the side
and panel was gone in twenty twenty one, but the
parking sign was still there. Okay, So trying to determine, like,
is that damage from the hurricane? Has it come down before? Right?
So there's the value in multiple people photographing the same signs? Yeah,
because that is that that wolf of acknowledge and information?
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Didn't he show some pictures of the Sandman?
Speaker 2 (39:04):
He did? Yes, the Sandman was the first one I
saw that he posted. But you know how Instagram shows
you things out of order. I'm not sure what then first,
but the salmon was the first one that I saw,
and then I saw the what's treat?
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Is that on?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
We'll see hair and yeah, we'll show the sunken Gardens sign,
which looked great.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Whoever built a Sandman sign, they are not only just
an artisan but an engineer, because that thing withstood some
heavy winds, yes, and is still standing. Oh my heavens
on two.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Posts right, two posts stuck on the ground.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
No, God bless them, Oh my heavens. And that and
that paltryes those two paltrees are still right there. Good
for them. And that'll bring us to the end of
our third segment. The first segment is going to be
kind of like, are I normally do this for the
bucket sign or the bucket list? Your sign? Bucket list all?
(40:08):
It sounds like you do have some bucket list signs
that you want to get to, Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (40:13):
I do I up with them? Off the top of
my head. Let me work on that.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
I'll give you a few seconds. You're listening to International
sign Finders. Welcome back to International sign Finders. Glad you're
still with this. We are talking to the amazing Stephanie
(40:41):
Potit Retro Roadside Photography is her Instagram handle you added
dot com that's her website. She has a Flicker account.
We'll put that in the show notes. We'll have all
these in the show notes. And if there's any mistakes
I make. Stephanie didn't make any mistakes. Let me tell
you that it's going to be. If there are any
mistakes that I make, I'll have those corrections in the
(41:03):
show notes as well. Now we've talked about No. Forty
eight forty eight in four months. You know, I see
art the hero, the hero journey starting at our first one.
Now we're kind of bringing bringing it around as much
as we can for our bucket list items. You've done,
(41:26):
You've probably taken pictures of so many bucket list items
for me that I am a jealous b covetous and
see I want to do that just all in that
order too. You too, when we were talking about uh
signs that you missed one that came down was it
(41:47):
Saint Petersburg, Florida as well?
Speaker 2 (41:50):
So there was one of the China and that came
down out of Saint Petersburg and it was a yeah,
you know, rooftop mounted air. Then every time again taught
from Saint Petersburg posts it, I just I break inside
because I saw it and it was there and and
(42:12):
now it is gone, and that is I guess what
they say, that's you know, the beauty of life is
that isn't permanent. Yeah, so but still it's like, ah,
I had my chance and I missed it. But there
are are so many bucket listers. Uh, it's insane.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
The first one I could hear the US. It could
be anywhere in the world. Oh well, and I just
complicated things again.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
Now you didn't, you didn't. Then the Hong Kong. The
answer is is easily Hong Kong. If if budget and
time and real life were no object, I would be
on the first plane to Hong Kong to photograph the
neon that is there before it disappears.
Speaker 1 (42:57):
They're swapping it out for LED.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
They're swapping it out for LED, or it's coming down
and it's not going back up.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
And I think the Kowloon City folks. They've always been
kind of independent. It used to be a DJ many
many years ago. Uh, there was a metal band called
Kowloon Walled City. I'm like, what in the world is
this name? And then I looked it up and they're
kind of like their own enclave within an enclave, because
(43:24):
that's all Hong Kong is is an enclave on the
coast of China, uh, for so many years, and they're
kind of independent. And there's that pawn shop sign with
the green and the orange and the scaffolding and just
the amazing I know, I'll taking your thunderway.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
I'm so sorry, no no, no, no, please please go on.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
So gorgeous that they gorgeous, like like Totem with the
neon and the little sign on the side that says
come in in Petne's. I I make these what they
call composites, photoshop composites, and I love taking like the
Tokyo neon, mixing it with the Hong Kong and some
(44:10):
Houston or wherever neon and putting people in, like mixing
like Star Wars and Star Trek and Captain America and
Doctor Who all into one, and just making that happen,
and I will use Hong Kong, especially that pawn shop,
because of how striking it is. It's when when she said,
and she is not mincing words, Hong Kong needs to
(44:32):
be photographed before it's cracked on even more. Yeah, I'm sorry,
I took no the words.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
No, no, no, it's it's it's fine. Steve Spiegel has
has posted some photos of Hong Kong, and every time
I see them, I fall over. So that is yeah,
I love I love love of Steve. Steve is Steve's incredible.
There's the Flexillums in New York that Josh Silber has
(45:02):
photographed a few times. I need to come go as
a Josh so he can take me to the flex
loom side. We did get World of Tyle flex Loom,
so they actually were a They were a Neon production company.
A large portion of their collection were all of their
materials is now actually at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati.
(45:24):
But they were a Neon production shop that pre dated
at least World War two, maybe World War one. Todd's
going to know. Sorry, Todd, I know you just told
me all of this a few weeks ago, and I'm
butchering it, but Flexlom was a Neon production plant in
New York. Uh, and they had a like they still have, right,
and it is this incredible globe sign I love. I
(45:46):
love globes as well, so globes and Dion is like
uber bucket list.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Buffalos, the Buffalo New York one, which is amazing.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Yeah, that's that is your probably No, no, it's up
for New York State, so it would be buff Hell. Yes, yes,
so it is this globe that's okay, No, no, it
is this beautiful globe sign and it's it's heavenly, it's
to die for. There's the candy shop that again. Josh
(46:18):
is also photographed Hilda brands that I've ever seen, which
I love to see and go into and explore.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
I thes like Central Camera to me that you know,
both of those are on the same level of I
want to go see.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
I love Central Camera. I love Central Camera so much.
I actually have a shirt from Central Camera and it's
falling apart and I want another one. Central Camera. If
you're listening, the like screen prints coming off, so just
keep making them all the way back to buy another one.
The Joe Gambino's Bakery sign in New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
I spent a total of about six hours and new
lines in twenty fourteen before my sister and I had
to leave the state of Louisiana because of an impending hurricane.
Yeah so yeah, yeah, So I really have very little
from New Orleans that I have photographed, and it has
been on my list ever since to get back down there.
(47:19):
Alabama has incredible signs that I need to photograph. I'm
really sad that the Moonwinks Motel sign is gone. I'm
hoping it reappears some day. Oh no, yeah, yeah, wow,
it's on I know, are breaking. Also the Moon Motel
(47:39):
in New Jersey. If someone has a pair of clippers,
if you could just go clip all of that down
and reveal the sign for all of us, you're not fantastic.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
I think three years Rabbit took pictures of it.
Speaker 2 (47:51):
Recently, well, yep, it is almost hirely covered in sign
in trees and branch is in. Yeah. Someone had posted
a photo of bit and I was like, wait, is
this a recent photo? Did someone finally go in and
trim and they're like, no, this photos like five years old.
It's like, dang it, because that sign is incredible.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Is talking to my buddy Spooky. You know, Wildwood kind
of takes pride in in the do walk. I mean
I even made wah Wall make a do wop sign
for Heaven's sakes, which is amazing. No Wahwaffer doing that.
But the moon is such an iconic sign, and I'm
(48:38):
surprised nobody's just done like a Heather David and just said, hey,
this is our sign and had done a fundraiser because
when she told when she tells the story about the
little you know, the little kids with the dimples still
in their fingers, you know, the knuckles haven't you know,
separated from the you know, the bow, the knucklebones haven't
(49:01):
started protruding. They had stuff at dimples in their knuckles.
But she's talking about like a five year old or
a four year old given her five dollars and almost crying.
You know that that's.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Was that for that Stephen's take sign, And so it
was for.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
The Stephens sign. Yeah, yes, I'm superior, He's Wildwood hasn't
done that yet.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
I don't. I don't know how far Motel is from Wildwood.
I haven't. I mean I've driven it, but I couldn't
tell you the top of my head.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Why am I thinking it's in Wildwood?
Speaker 2 (49:33):
It's it's not. But let's see her.
Speaker 1 (49:38):
Uh New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (49:43):
Let's see here, what if we gots it's like.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
A motel productions? How is in how New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
It's in Howell, New Jersey. Yeah, yeah, I don't know
how how far Howel is from wild Led.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
Well, while you're giving your next bucket list item, I
will look it up.
Speaker 2 (50:08):
That was what I was doing next next bucket list item.
I mean, unfortunately some of these are our bucket listers
that are are gone right. I really wanted, like the
College Crest Motel that was in Alton, Illinois. Thank you
Deb Jane for the assist on this one. Because it
has this this crazy swooping arrow right that starts on
(50:31):
the left, goes to the right side of sign, and
then back to the left and back to the right.
It reminds me of the this wind motel in Colorado
that has a similar just crazy curvy arrow.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
Oh wow, that's almost like the is it Buebelo or
Duringo just south of south of Colorado Springs right off
Panners State. It has one It has motel like those
you know, those boxing letters, and it has like the
arrow going in and out, but not as it.
Speaker 2 (51:06):
That's exactly the one I'm thinking of. Yeah, just yourself
of of Tableau. Oh that's the was it? The U
s A motel?
Speaker 1 (51:17):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
Everything in southern Utah. I need to photograph so badly.
The the homemade pies signs please please. Green River, Yes, yes,
those tights incredible.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Mm hmmm, uh, Saint george' all, the Dixie charge, the
Dixy photograph. And there's that Hustard place in Cedar City.
I think they've got Nielsen's Is it Nils?
Speaker 2 (51:59):
It might be since that's the yes, old school custard
from ut.
Speaker 1 (52:03):
Yeah, there's one in Cedar City that we stopped at.
I think I might be mistaken about their sign, but
if they do have if they don't have a sign,
here's your hint. Get an old city signed listen to us.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
It just should Yes, you should absolutely have an ultimate sign.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (52:20):
The Sleepy Hollow Hotel in Green River, Utah.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Yes, oh my gosh, that's so great.
Speaker 2 (52:25):
Oh badly.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
We stopped at Green River and uh number one. As
soon as you get into Green River, that Neon welcome
sign is amazing. Any you start coming in like the
I think the robbers Nest is there, Yes, I think
so sleepy as hollow. I didn't get there. It was
like it it was twin night, no Golden Hour, so
(52:49):
a lot of these hadn't come on. But just going
down main Street, I'm sure there's some other a lot
of others that I missed. Just doing that was you
know that that's a bucket list checked off And it
is kind of in the middle of nowhere too. But
you will drive her out.
Speaker 2 (53:07):
That's fine, that's fine. I'm good. I'm good with metal
driving for hours. The West West Court Motel in Delta, Colorado.
I have never seen that sign, and that is the
one where it's there's the sun up top and there's
the like neon like squiggles that extend from the sign
to actually create the sun rays. So there's anything with
(53:28):
a neon extension, I'm a sucker for.
Speaker 1 (53:31):
I've got to answer about the how from Wildwood? Oh?
Speaker 2 (53:34):
Yes, how far is it?
Speaker 1 (53:36):
You know it's just down the street. One hundred miles.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
Yeah, that's it's just down the street. For you know,
a California driver.
Speaker 1 (53:43):
You never know with like you know, the uh some
preservation group in like Wildwood. But maybe work with people
and how to get things started helped them get things started,
Like you know, like Neon speaks, they have the the
rest of ration packets that they do. Maybe someone can
(54:04):
inspire Hal to do that. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (54:06):
Have you interviewed Randall ann and All yet?
Speaker 1 (54:08):
No? Not yet. I need credible for some reason. I
need to. But then like I'll find like uh signed
Peeper or you know, uh, I need to do DV
over DT. Oh my gosh, he is. He's one of
(54:29):
my heim. Yes, yeah, Tim is amazing.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
Tim does such fun stuff with film. His film photography
is incredible.
Speaker 1 (54:37):
Well, the Lavender film. I didn't know that existed, so
if it, if.
Speaker 2 (54:43):
It's weird, Tim has found it. Yeah, I was on satography.
He is, and he's a very tall man and I
am five foot two, so me talking to Tim is hilarious.
Six four Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
He's probably taller than me. Huh.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
My guess would be yes, But at a certain point
everyone is taller than me, so it's a little hard
to gauge. But I think he's taller than you.
Speaker 1 (55:12):
My oldest daughter is five four and she's nine, and
my wife's so it's so weird having a nine year
old coming up under your chin, just like.
Speaker 2 (55:25):
Well, your nine year olds taller than me.
Speaker 1 (55:27):
Yeah, I'm not doing that to rub it in. I'm
just like, no, no, no, I've got a nine year
old that's taller than some adults. It's so weird.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
My joke used to be on five five in heels, because.
Speaker 1 (55:38):
That's what I'm talking to.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
The average the average female height was five five So yeah,
five five five in heels.
Speaker 1 (55:45):
That's fine.
Speaker 2 (55:46):
Yeah, but heels are very useful when you know, traversing
freeway overpasses or exit ramps to photograph me on signs.
Speaker 1 (55:55):
And my grandmother was five two as well, and I
think she could take me in a fist when I
was younger. She's an old Oklahoma from the dust Bowl,
and yeah, you don't mess with her.
Speaker 2 (56:07):
So is my grandma. Yeah, so was my grandmother. Yeah
that there's an Indian heritage on my father's side, and
so most of a portion of my family. Yeah, after
coming to California for a while actually moves back to Oklahoma. Yeah, yes, absolutely,
Snooky could have taken me in a fight. Yeah, with
(56:29):
her eyes closed.
Speaker 1 (56:31):
I have a great grandmother that if you look at
pictures of her she has the long black raids and
she's standing outside of a tepee in Oklahoma with her
mother in law wrapped in Cherokee design blankets. And when
she got married, this is back you know, discrimination all
(56:54):
that bull crab on her. When her mother assigned her
wedding certificate, it said holder white. I'm like, there's so
much there's so much heritage that we just lost with
that one statement. It's just it's kind of heartbreaking. But yes,
(57:17):
that's unfortunately, that's life. But where were we at? Oh? Wildwood? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (57:23):
What a wild wood? Howell? Yes. Oklahoma, by the way,
is also one of the states that surprised me with
the quality of the neon, the politeness of the people.
Uh huh, just loved it.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
Oklahoma City, chick Ciche, Oklahoma, and Tulsa are kind of
like the triangle of Oklahoma to me for me on signage.
Speaker 2 (57:54):
Yeah, so we also is actually in one of the
places No sorry, go ahead, no.
Speaker 1 (57:58):
You go ahead with Tulsa.
Speaker 2 (58:00):
Oh, so, Tulsa was actually one of the Oklahoma is
the state that I went to after the pandemic. Oklahoma
was the first place that I traveled to. So I
travel you'd be with a couple of signed friends. So
it was me, Josh silver Will so three yeared Rabbit Dina.
(58:24):
I forget if Steve was there or not. Alexis was there,
and like they kind of did their own They started
at Texas and we started in Oklahoma City and met
in the middle and then went our separate ways. But
Josh and I ended up in Tulsa, and you know,
we approached this Italian is usually dinner. We find this
(58:47):
great Italian restaurant and it is packed, and we were
a little nervous right walking into this very full restaurant
post pandemic. You're not really sure what you're walking into.
And we had the most incredible conversation with the guy
at the our, you know, sitting next to us, who
I'm going to guess was younger than me, but just
about the culture in Tulsa and now he owns and
owned a bike shop or works at a bike shop,
(59:09):
and and so talking about all the trails and all
the rides they do, you know, and the maintenance in
downtown and just like it's it's really what I love
about Neon is everyone everyone has a sign, right everywhere
has a sign. So it's a great opener conversation, and
(59:31):
so I can go to forty eight in four months
and talk to anybody about their signage. So not only
are they are they art, but they're this fantastic like
unifying collective that makes every place different than anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (59:50):
And that is the perfect spot that we'll have to end.
I've been an awesome conversation Number one thanks to Corey
or reminded me of Stephanie's because I'm Adhd and I
go in about fifty different directions at times, so Tory
got a big shout out to Too Much Fire. Thank
you so much for suggesting Stephanie, and Stephanie, thank you
(01:00:14):
so much for just kind of introducing us to your
story arc, because it's an amazing story arc, don't. I
mean you've you've lived kind of a life that most
people write about. This is like, oh, what's the what's
the writer from the fifties? Yeah, where he did like
(01:00:39):
the gonzo type writing, not not like a Hunter s Thompson.
But no, Cara Whac did a whole bunch of like
traversing and just write crazy stuff. So it's kind of
a Cara Whacking adventure. Hopefully that's not again, Soult No Nona.
Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
Hey, I knew who he was, right.
Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Yeah, he's like as soon as you said Carawac, it
came to my mind. Yeah. So yeah, he spent a
little time in Houston. I don't know if you had
the greatest thing to say about Houston, but yeah, he
gave me Houston. But so your website plug it. It's amazing.
We didn't even get to the match books. I wanted
to talk about match books. We didn't get to it. Yeah,
(01:01:21):
I can give.
Speaker 2 (01:01:21):
You a five second on the matchbooks.
Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
They're what I found when I couldn't travel. Yes, matchbooks
are my pandemic hobby that became a way to literally
armchair travel by exploring matchbooks.
Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
And if you're listening to this, go to her website
and look at her and also her Instagram feed, but
see her matchbook arc. It's amazing, just amazing. So I'll
say that it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:01:53):
Thank you, Drew.
Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
You're welcome. So your website is richer Roadside Photography dot
com dot com. And you can you said that's the
abbreviated uh look into your sign hunting life. Yes, and
that is the greatest abbreviation that you probably do. Just
(01:02:15):
your collections you can spend hours on your website. It's
it's tremendous. Yeah, thank you, You're welcome. Sorry, I'm I'm
overly complimentary at times. It's awkward, so.
Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
And I struggle to take compliments, so I appreciate yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
The same way too.
Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
It's it's weird, It's it's also it's helpful sometimes to
get a different perspective. Yeah, right, because I have my
own you know, I wanted to recreate I mean not recreate,
but basically redo chasing me on ten years later. Right,
I wanted to spend this summer again forty eight in
four months, and that was completely impractical and absolutely not
(01:02:55):
going to happen, you know, maybe right, I mean my
at one point, my long term goal was to save
enough to buy an RV and road trip basically full time.
Oh my god, work remotely and road trip full time.
Because you know, if I if I'm in Fresno and
I want to photograph the Fremont Theater and it's not
(01:03:16):
lit up that day or the weather is terrible, I
need to come back. I need to be able to
park it in Fresno and stan in Fresno for as
long as I need to hit all the photographs I want,
do all the other things I want to do, and
then leave right because you could spend years doing just that,
and I would love to.
Speaker 1 (01:03:37):
But it is that Fresno. It's like eatybeaty little towns
like I'm talking to b Bailey, Brett Bailey, you know,
just the Panhandle. I remember going through some little Panhandle town,
probably about thirty miles in and there was an awesome
marquee that I you know, I had only had an
(01:03:58):
hour's sleep and I was driving from Denver to Houston
on an hour sleep. Don't do that, kids, I fell
asleep for like thirty seconds, about an hour outside of home,
and a it was sobery. BM I didn't die. And
see I was lucky as I was lucky as in
(01:04:18):
the Irish. Don't do it. Don't do it. So you
got your website. What else do you want to plug?
Oh my goodness, I'll give you one last thing to plug.
Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
I'm gonna plug whatever sign is in your hometown.
Speaker 1 (01:04:38):
Yes, thank you, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
Whoever is listening, whatever sign is in your hometown, go
see it. Yes, you don't know how long it's going
to be there, if it's still attached to a functioning business.
Support that business, right. The number of places I've walked
into and said I love your sign and I watched
them look at me like I'm crazy, it's a lot
people don't realize what they have. Support that sign, like
(01:05:02):
plug that sign because you have it and it's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
And that is the perfect place to end. Thank you
so much Stephanie for joining us on the show this week.
And as Stephanie just said, I will give a big
old amen. Find that side of your town, whether you've
taken one hundred thousand photos of it or haven't taken
one yet, go find it, take a picture of it,
and share it because you've added to the collective consciousness
(01:05:30):
of the signs around the country. So that'll do it
for this week's edition of International Sign Finders. Get out,
hit the pavement, have fun, and until next time, see
you later.
Welcome everybody to International Sign Finders. Glad you're back with us.
Last week we had a great conversation with Heather david Man.
If you do not have San Jose on your bucket list,
you gotta add it. I know we talk about Los
Angeles and San Francisco and San Diego, but don't forget
San Jose's third largest city in California. Get on out
(00:37):
there and put that on your bucket list and hopefully
you got out got some great pictures, some Neon signs,
even hand painted signs. Those are very worthy as well.
This is really good hand painted signs if you really
look for them. I still wish I could have gotten
the book out of La where they just took photos
of all those hand painted signs on the front of storefronts.
(00:58):
I will kick myself for not doing that. But tonight
we have a great guest. As all our guests are great,
we've got another distinguished guest. She's been highlighted on hgtv
UH the Boston Globe. Quicksilver. Now that's an interesting one.
I have to ask about that one. She is a
(01:18):
road warrior. She is a rover and a goer and
a getter. She's probably put almost as many miles as
Deborah Jane and that's why, Well, I don't know you've
come close. You said three hundred thousand. I think she's
up to almost a half a million now, uh.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, I believe that.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
So Welcome to the show, Stephanie Pote, which has to
be one of the most Southern names I have come
across in a while. Welcome to the show, Stephanie.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah. So I know that you're pretty People know you
in the side community. But for those who are just
breaking into this hobby or just listening to the podcast
because they're like, this is a strange little podcast, is
listen to it interest? Use yourself to the whole crew.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Okay, Well, my name is Stephanie Potite. I started photographing
signs shortly after I graduated college. Yeah. I had always
been interested in photography, but after I bought my first
camera while in college. Actually it was like the hunt
(02:28):
for what interests me. Yeah, and one day on a
cross country road trip, hold a moving truck into the
parking lot of the sup Homo Hotel in Sligman, Arizona.
And I know people from Arizona will tell me that
I'm saying it wrong. I'm sorry, but photograph the Supamo
Hotel and absolutely film uff. That was it. I had
(02:50):
found my subject matter and it was signs. So a
few years later I did the Chasing on road trip.
I kind of came out of nowhere. People had never
heard of me. Who are you? What are you doing?
I actually a lot of people who referenced ever Jane
and they're like, you know, she does this, She's not
asking for finding on a Kickstarter project. Why should we
(03:13):
support you? And you know my approach to which devor
Jane's fantastic, but you know, I'm a twenty something year
old kid trying to travel the country and photograph me
on signs. Beth Lennon My Betty's response was a rising
tied lifts all boats, which I thought was a brilliant thought.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
So the more attention we can bring to these signs,
the better chance we have of people recognizing them, appreciating them,
wanting to protect them, preserve them and keep them, you know,
either in the wild or find a place for them
in a museum or in a protected space so that
people can continue to see them and appreciate them. One
(03:54):
on the line my my Kickstarter project was I want
to photograph the Blue Swallow motel into Compare Arizona, so
that generations from now a child can stand under that
sign and stare in all Yes, because that's what I
think Neon does, right, And so since then it's Neon
(04:16):
signs are are my my nights and weekends whenever I
can can make it possible. If I'm traveling, it's it's
for Neon. People will literally ask me why are you
going there? With answers beyond why are you going to
Denver with Neon? Why are you going here Neon?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
And then why are you in some of the worst
parts of town Stephanie, Well, there's a Neon sign there,
so here I am.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yes, I know what you're talking about, because I've gone.
I've told my wife where I've gone in Houston. I
don't know if you've been to Houston chasing down Neon.
A lot of it's newer, but you know, I I'll go.
I had a goal in mind to get all eighty
eight super neighborhoods, get a picture of a sign or
(05:00):
Neon sign or some cool sign from all eighty eight
super neighborhoods in Houston. It's a tall task. It took
me about a year and a half, I think, And
I tell her, yeah, I was a fifth ward. I
was in Sunnyside, I was in South Main or ost
And she's like, you were ware.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
You did what?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Oh yeah, And one thing I really enjoy what you
just said was, you know, a rising tide lifts all
the boats. That's kind of like. Uh. When I had
a conversation with Nick Gerlach, who's another road warrior, He's
the king of Google map pins, he broke it. He
broke Google Maps basically. Uh. He said that just because
(05:45):
the sign has been you know, people have taken photographs
of that sign before, doesn't mean we don't need another one.
We watch yours, and yours adds to the history of
the whole experience. And so, you know, you get people
who are you know, there's several up in Dallas, there
are quite a few up in Chicago, Denver. Has you
(06:07):
know Mark fifty two eighty signed Peeper, Corky and Todd
and Martie. Yeah, yeah, those guys are just amazing. And
so everyone has a different ability, has a different way
of viewing it and a different way of sharing it,
and it all comes into the collective database, data bank, database,
(06:31):
databank database, yeah, database, yeah, is well on.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
The collective, like cultural consciousness.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I mean it's yeah, because I know, for me, I
always forget that I've seen signs or I think I've
seen a sign, but I miss placed where I's at.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Like there's a sign I saw somewhere in southern California,
probably like ocean side, and it kind of stuck with
me a little bit, but it didn't stick enough to
you know. This is two thousand five, two thousand and six.
I was going to my buddy's wedding in San Diego,
and I just remember seeing this cool looking like old
neon side for a trailer park. I just can't remember
(07:09):
it was off the five, but that kind of stuck
in my mind. That's one of the you know, the
many different UH avenues that got me into this hobby,
besides Spike and I. Maybe I'll tell you that story
later on, But in two thousand and eight, you were
(07:30):
just graduating college. You're in Seligman or how do they
pronounce it.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think they pronounced it Seligman. You know. For some reason,
Seligman is what I say. But I've definitely been told like,
now you're saying that wrong and despite my best efforts
to say it correctly. Same as you know, I no
one like sway I say Amarillo either, and that's fine.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
It's like me is saying frou, I'm so North Carolinian
when it comes to that that instead of saying Pharaoh,
hopefully I'm saying it right there, I say fay Robe
and Jader. It's just that seeking eastern North Carolinian accent.
But after you took a picture of that first sign,
(08:18):
what I know you said you're hooked but your mind space,
because I believe that's a you know, when when you're
taking pictures of signs, you got to a plan out
where it's at b fine parking or like me, do
a drive by. But see there's that awe factor, the
off factor beforehand and after what what what do you
(08:40):
remember the next few miles after you took a picture
of the Soup Pike Motel.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Briefly only because there's also the Root sixty six motel
down the street on Sex Wow, right, yes, right, So
like you you get the Soupie and then you drive
down and here's the Root sixty six motel. The blue
and red shield.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And and then after that I would have to pull
up my archives right and like go through, like chronologically,
what did I I photograph next? Yeah, because I was
driving from San Diego where I dawned college to Boston,
where I would live for the next little over a year.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
That's a road and a half.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Oh yeah, and and did it? Did it in a
moving truck in four and a half days.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
There's gotta be a record there.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Maybe, I mean, we did sleep, but I don't believe you,
you know. And then the crazy thing was, like I
just moved now from San Diego, which is you know, California,
which is just Neon Heaven, to Boston, where their version
of old is pre dating Neon. So trying to find
an Neon sign in Boston was a little more of
a struggle. I still found them. They're still there. They're beautiful,
(09:54):
They're wonderful. I love them. Thank you, Boston, fantastic city.
But you know, I was almost mourning the fact that
I had found my subject matter as I was leaving
the state, you know. So I would photograph me on
there and post it. But for the longest time, I
you know, thought I was crazy. I am, That's fine.
(10:16):
I might be yes, but like in terms of who
else photographs signs?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I once had someone say to me like, you don't
you don't photograph people? What's that about? And I was like, no,
photographing people is hard. Photographing signs like speak to me,
I literally see art?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
You know, yes, yes, so yeah, that's a good place
to uh the segue to the next segment, I See Art.
So the name of the first segment will be we'll
just call it, give it a name. Introduction to Stephanie's
Neon Extravaganza. Over the next what almost twenty Oh my gosh.
(11:00):
I graduated in two thousand and seven from college myself,
and I can't believe it's been twenty seven years.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Uh yeah, yeah, seven seven h seventeen years.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yes, yes, yeah, me and math. It's it's late at night.
But when we come back, we're going to we're going
to venture into the title of our next segment, I
See Art. You're listening to International Science Finders. Welcome back
(11:46):
to International scien Finders. Glad you're with us. We have
roadside photography is a retro roadside photography? Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That's correct?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Oh, I I will I will look at your handle
like fifteen times and still forget it.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
It's awful.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah yeah, I like Houston sign hunting. That's that doesn't
flow off the tongue very well either, but yours does.
Here's Here's makes more sense than mine does. So retro
roadside photography Stephanie Potee. She's got an amazing backstory already.
It is a heroes backstory, not a villain backstory. He's
(12:27):
a hero backstory because now we've seen her origin story
driving across country and Seeligman ari ag Zona. At least
you're not pronouncing Prescott. It looks like Prescott, but it's Prescott.
I learned that as being around Arizona's So we've just
gone from San Diego to Seligman all the way out
(12:47):
to Boston, and now you know, Boston has like a
niner scene. Talking with Richard Gutman, you know, he's kind
of from the he went to school in Cornell, he
did some stuff in Boston and that Northeast corridor, and
you know, he is the man when it comes to diners.
Just he knows as he's in his cues very well.
(13:09):
And it just seems like there's that diner scene up
in the Northeast. Maybe I'm just looking too far into it.
I'll admit that. And if you're listening, Richard, if I
need to be corrected, let me know. Now we go
into the icy art. I I interviewed Lisa Tennant art.
(13:30):
She does watercolors of neon signs, like hyper realistic water colors, paintings,
the art behind these, because it seems like all these
MCM the midsign tree, modern, the you know the Googi
there in southern California, you know the Denver signs, all
of them have a U me quality to each and
(13:50):
every single one of them. When you say I see art,
what do you mean?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I mean, I see the ten years it took someone
just to be bad at bending neon tubes. Yes, I
see the intentional selection from state size color or colors. Right,
What color does that tube look like in the daylight?
What color does it glow at night? How does that
(14:17):
color reflect off the paint that you've selected. The fact
that signs are designed to be better viewed from the
middle of the street, right, They're intended to grab roads,
you know, a motorist, not someone walking down the sidewalk.
I joke that I have my plane in traffic expert
level badge. Oh yeah, because if I can get in
(14:41):
the middle of the street to photograph a sign, that
is absolutely what I will do without without fail. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Have you stood on the top of your van yet
to take a picture of a sign?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I don't have a van. I really, I joke, I joke.
I need a starecar. Yeah, yes, I really want a starecar.
I I would love clippers and you know, a safety
hat and a vest and a clipboard. So people, leave
me alone, all of those things.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
I know what I'm doing. Go away, this is this
is important historical work.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Leave me alone, and have like a stamp in your hand,
just a case where somebody comes up, you just stamp
like whatever they're holding. It's like, I'm official, leave me alone.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That'd be perfect, that'd be perfect. Yeah. So I just
that is what I see, you know, intentional selections made
by artists and designers. So yes, like these these signs
are intended to advertise, but they're also standalone pieces of
(15:47):
the best that multiple you know people could put together.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, because it's all.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Done by hand. Right, Your kneon can built by hand
by skilled machinists. You're right, Glass tubes. You're paint down
to the person who designed the sign and the business
who said, yeah, that's my sign, right man. Yeah, there
wasn't a computer involved. I know people who make signs
(16:14):
today and they're still not a computer involved.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
You know, moggles my mind that you know a lot
of it's like hand drawn architecture blueprints and you go
from there. Yes, could you imagine doing Vegas VICKI? Or
what's the big cowboy that smokes in uh Las Vegas, Vegas?
Vic Vegas Big? Of course is Vegas Big.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
I can't, but I believe his brother in Nevada has
a different name. But yes, I know it is Vegas
Vick and VICKI. Yeah, but doing those doing those by hand,
or the miles of tubing that went into that Rio
sign that stood on the freeway that was made here
(16:59):
and at Art and LOUDI not far from where I live.
In fact, one of the guys who worked for at
Art is still doing two bending here and stock it
after Roger.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Now that's beyond an art. It isn't hard for him yet,
but it seems like something beyond. He has a craft.
It's so much more. But as Dallas don enthusiasts kind
of put it. You know, this is one of the
few art forms that has to be out in the weather,
has to be out in the elements, has to deal
(17:29):
with all the stuff that's thrown at it, birds, rocks,
cars crashing into them. Believe it or not. It has
to survive. So there has to be a love and
a passion for this or that's with everything, you know,
But it seems like it's kicked up to the next
level because now you've got this huge, like you said,
(17:53):
miles miles of tubing that is standing on the side
of the road. It may have some blinking so you
get a figure in and what what is it? The uh?
It turns them on and off?
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Or is it can the transport the transformers? Right, so
you have multiple transformers, you have to wire. If you
have an animator, you have to work into the circuit yeah, right,
and yeah, and that's that's that's on top of all
of the other aspects. Right. Not only is it crafted
by hand from metal and glass and noble gases and paint,
(18:25):
but then you have electricity and wiring and circuitry, and
every every piece is hand selected, hand installed. It's art
of of the highest form and it's you know, created
by a team. No single person that I know of
has ever made ane on sign. You know, they had
(18:48):
entire sign shops filled with people to do this, which
is you know, part of the reason why you have
like regional differentiation in science is because you had regional
sign shops. Which is another wonderful topic toscussed with hew
O the David if you guys didn't get.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
There, well we didn't even go close, not even in
the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah, sometimes I will take pictures of the little emblems
you guse. Sign shops would have their own emblems and
some of them to have their David because I know
that they're a you know, sign shops she'd written.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
About, so like EPOU talking about and how you know
they they basically theyenagled. They worked around the local laws
to create a sign that was just like you know,
just a finger to the eye to the local municipality
saying we're going to do what we want to do.
(19:42):
It's just the story behind that's amazing. You could do it.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Have you seeing the Western Appliance sign.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Only from pictures. I need to get back out to California.
It's been it's been too long, let's just put it there.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
When I say massive, it is stumungous. Yeah, I'm pretty
sure if it fell over it would flatten my house, right, Like,
I don't live in San Jose. But that is how
majestic that sign is and how large it is. It's extraordinary.
(20:15):
Heather might have exact measurements. I've never tried to look
them up, but it is easily one of the largest
signs I've seen, particularly for one that's not in Las Vegas, right,
that's not on the top of a skyscraper. I know
scaffolding signs are quite large, but for something that sits
over top of a single story building of a regular
(20:36):
street in San Jose, it is.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Which is the size of the Greenbill? I know it's
a scaffolding size, but the Greenbill in Minneapolis.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
It may have. It's Minneapolis. I have only seen that
sign in person once and it was from across the bridge,
so I couldn't tell you. The best place to photograph
it is from across the bridge, So that's where I
photographed it from, and that was in twenty fourteen, So
I don't know. I suspect that the Grand bel Beer
(21:08):
sign is larger because it is quite massive. But yeah,
I mean it's it's still up there men.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah. Talking to just sign here at an Minneapolis. He
talks about, you know, it's just immense, huge sign and
that will bring us to the end of our second segment.
What should we call the third segment?
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Oh gosh, where do we go from here?
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Okay? The road trip of twenty fourteen and have that
plan it out? Okay, yeah, I just made I just
made your life complicated.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Didn't I You did? You absolutely did?
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Well that's what I do. Yeah, that's so you're listening
to Edison National side Finders. Welcome back to International Scienfinders.
(22:15):
Glad you're with us. We have the one and only
Stephanie Poteit Retro Roadside Photography. Go and find her website
Retro Roadsidephotography dot com. Follow her on Instagram. Are you
on Flicker as well?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I am on Flicker? Okay, you're seeing what my handle
is on Flicker. I have been on Flicker so long
I don't even remember anymore.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
I just put it in the show notes if.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Okay, I think it's Hoteit Photo, but no one can
ever spell my now last name correctly. So and let
us you've been to pot Texas.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
But no, I just remember it from a kid. I
think there was some sports figure named Poteit or something
like that, or I heard it. It's like, that's such
a weird name. It's kind of like in parts of
eastern North Carolina you have the Midgets, which is spelled
Mitchell with an elten. So it's one of those unique
last names that you just remember and you're like, Okay,
(23:11):
it just sticks in your mind. Uh, like my real
last name, because Abernathy is my radio names, my real
last name is basically Ocean Cemetery. I'll just leave it
at that. I'll tell you what it is afterwards. But
it's a unique one too. So we've talked about this
is art. We had the intro the hero arc beginning
(23:34):
of Stephanie's neon sign career two segments ago. Now we're
in the forty eight and four forty eight states, four months,
twenty seven thousand miles. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Yeah, that's correct.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Oh my gosh. How do you Let's take a state
like South Dakota. No, no, No, let's go even more
sparse Wyoming. Wyane's got a lot are cool signs it does?
How do you tackle a state like Wyoming.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Poorly, it is the answer.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
It's straight forward.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Ye. So you know the funny thing they never tell
you is that our United States map is not actually
to scale.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
No it's not.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
No, it's not. So what looks like twenty minutes in
Wyoming is an hour if you're lucky, if you're lucky,
if you're lucky.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Traveled across that crazy state. So a few times you're
so great.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
It is you're like, yeah, it's just down the street. Nope,
no it's not. It is absolutely not just down the street.
Two hours have passed by, and now you're approaching the
three hour tour and you have yet to find the
city you are looking for.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yes, rock Springs, you're on. Not.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
I love Rock Springs. I love Rock Springs.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I need to get into Rock Springs. I've done Rawlins, okay,
but I've only passed through Rock Springs. I got one
sign in Rock Springs. It was I it was like
it was a diner sign. I can't remember off the
top of my head, but just seeing like Deborah James database,
you're like, I'm sad. Like the one liquor store it's
(25:24):
a Titan Go. It's a store that has an amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
The massive sign yepah, it's.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Joe's Joe's Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, and they recently restored that if I recall no way,
that's all yes. And then there's the motel sign that
is exquisite. You're gonna make me pull up my archives.
I I adored Rock Springs. I actually I loved Wyoming.
So we started off in a rg mm hmm, right many, Winnie.
(25:55):
No one told me that that many when he meant
we would summit mountains. That's about fifteen miles an hour?
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Uh huh? Did they have been six? Inity?
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I think it was a straight four. It was the lightest,
smallest RV you could get from like the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Oh, I'll just tell you, yes, what I lived in
East Idaho. We would go over to Jackson Hole every
so wakay, and that's that is a climb. Uh yeah,
from Victor to Jackson and I had a four banger
and I think at the summit I was doing twenty
five miles an hour and you're in a mini winning Yeah, yeah,
(26:32):
straight four. Oh my gosh. That reminal.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Right, So you you just right, you you charge the
mountain as best you can and by the time you
get to the top, you have you know, eighteen wheelers
spunking at you, and you're like, I can't go any faster, man,
I'm sorry. Not what I had in mind. Uh, I
was not a sand A dance notice at dance notice
(26:56):
would have been great on that once. So we actually
we parked Miniwity in ong Been. My great aunt lived
there and rented a supero because the Pacific Northwest in
Minuity was was not going to be conducive to actually
getting getting stuffed doune. So my sister and I and
(27:19):
her dog rented this SUPERU and you know, lived out
in the superarroo for the Pacific Northwest. Yes, Wyoming was
that wasn't twenty minutes toward Wyoming fantastic signage. And then
got into Montana and was completely bowled over.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
I kicked myself because I've been up to Wolsen, Montana,
which is north of Missoula, just south of Kalispell, and
is class Oh my gosh, the fly half way the
Blue Mountains just amazing. I wish I would have taken
more time in Butte, in Anaconda, in buildings even still
(28:02):
in Montana.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Just maybe it's Dylan, but I hit the rest of them, okay,
and then and then Missoula, the Livingston Motel. I want
to spend the night in the Livingston Motel.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Uh the is it?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
The Murray Hotel and Livingston with this beautiful vertical sign
and the bar on the side. It's extraordinary, one of
the kind. Never seen anything like it, you know, And
so you you plan?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Have you me? I'm trying to do the same.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
I don't think that has it looks like it's a
plastic sign. What town is it in Livingston?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
The Murray Hotel and Livingston Murray?
Speaker 1 (28:50):
M hm.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
So it's the blue and pink sign on the corner
it is? It is not the So the lettering is
pink and the sign itself is blue, and it's this
like triangular sign that works its way up vertically and
then there's almost a marquee that comes out from the
corner of the building to support that vertical.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
You have got to be kidding me. This is amazing, right,
I will, I will have a if you've got one
in your databases, ach and snag, we'll put that on
the show promo. You've got to see this sign. If
you're just listening, I know this is a part of
the podcast that is really hard to do because we're
(29:37):
talking about signs and you want to see them. But
we'll have a picture of this up on the promo.
It is how do you describe it? I mean, it's
got the double arrows, right.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
It's almost Google but not quite yeah, Alan for me,
I understand, So it's not quite but it's almost Google inspired.
But it's on a brick building, right, so there's maybe
maybe it's a little more space age give it some
Jetson's vibes. Very good god, right, but then you have
(30:13):
the the you know, cursive font. But someone right when
I say it, I see art. Someone mind came up
with that brilliance and decided to adorn the corner of
that building in a way that I have never seen
done before.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I mean, how big is living Ston or yeah, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Don't mean to offend living Stone, but I don't very
you know, compact downtown. Also, when I travel to these places, right,
I see downtown's, I see the places that are sign heavy.
I don't necessarily see the rest of the town or
the city. I'm working on it. My recollection of living
Stin is very specifically their downtown. Yet remember a railroad
(31:01):
being there.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
But I think I've got a buddy from living so
to be honest with you, and I'm kicking myself for
not'm visiting him.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Well, your buddy from Livingston should be telling you what's there.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
You're not kidding. He's very much He was a basis
for several bands. You know. You you see a band
get up there, like a ska band, and they're all
kind of, you know, rock star kind of looking, and
here's him in like a collar polo and khakis, heeping
up with the guys. So you see that guy on
(31:36):
the stage, you know you're in for a rough night.
He's gonna he's gonna tear you up. But you know,
in montana's like that. There's like the Montana Bar in
all it's a town south of Glasgow, Montana. It's like that.
(31:58):
That strip is a US high way. Uh, it's gonna
slip my mind. Which US highway. It is kind of
goes through the middle just north of I ninety right
before and there're just tons of little towns. There's one
called the Montana Bar. It's kind of like the shape
of Texas is a mid century modern shape. Montana is
(32:19):
one two. It's such a cool little bar. And I'm
just like you know, Jackie Ophoto cook like a month
in Wyoming alone, yeap, And she came back with so
many things like little town like do Boys. I know
I'm jumping around, I apologize, but at Tanna Do Boys,
(32:41):
nine hundred people, I believe on main Street has three
of the reddest, most awesome Neon size that you'll find anywhere.
And then at the end of the town is the
trails in which is kind of like trails in motel
in Denver. I mean I was. It was one in
the morning. I was the only one to wake my
wife and my kids were asleep in the van, and
(33:02):
your dark too, and I stopped in the middle of
the street to fish. Yeah, but Wyoming is it's a
different world than Montana. Oh my gosh. What other state
did you find to be like absolutely interesting when they
came to all forty eight or interesting? Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Yes, where what.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Other place really where you're like sears? Like Nebraska that's
something like that?
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Uh well, yes, all of them. All of them is
a terrible answer, you.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Know, it's it is the only answer, right, it.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Is, It is the only answer. I'd also I'd only
been through like Idaho to visit family, so you know,
all of the STUFFI mark West was fantastic. Texas. I
had been to Texas to visit a friend, but not
not seen much of Texas. Nexas is also a very
(34:03):
massive state. I said, I still haven't made it to Houston.
I was actually supposed to go, and I arrived the
weekend after I believe it was Harvey. Yeah, and flooded,
and so my intended triangle of Dallas to Houston to
San Antonio and back to Dallas had to be diverted
because Houston was very sadly underwater and trying to dig
(34:26):
itself out.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I'll just moved here like we'd been here a month
and then Harvey hit. And luckily we're in an area
the Umble North, like Harris County is based in Houston,
so the north northeast side. We were on Taska See
to Umble and we were outside of the floodplain for
(34:47):
the most part. Now next to the beltline flooded. Well,
it's amazing the devastation a storm like that can have,
and it'll still surprise you every single time. Kind of
like you gave kind of a on your Instagram feed.
You gave a I don't want to say you LEGI
that sounds so horrible, but you gave a memorial a
(35:12):
shout out to Western. I'm using the worst words possible.
I apologize my North Carolina brethren and sister. And you
had the Western? Was it the Western or the Mountaineer?
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Which is the mountain? The Mountaineer from Asheville. Yes, because
I did come through North Carolina in twenty fourteen. I
had never been there. Yeah, North Carolina, South Carolina. I
loved the entire like drive up the eastern seaboard, and
I did so. I remember Ashville being this doorable place.
(35:45):
I know it's, you know, larger that you wouldn't necessarily
think adorables is the word you come up with, but
like that was the feel I had was it was
this adorable community. And I didn't realize until all of
these post started coming in about the damage from ur
Kaethalene that a lot of the artisans I follow and
the vintage resellers that I follow are in Asheville, and
(36:08):
so to see the absolute devastation of their their spaces,
their livelihood, their homes, deck community was was heartbreaking.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Because that is a South row in a way like
you start with, I'm gonna say just south the Tryon.
There's a uh, there's a town I can't remember the
name of it, just south of the North Carolina, North Carolina,
South Carolina, border Landrum so Land, South Carolina. Ryan, I
think you work your way up to Asheville is kind
(36:40):
of like an antique row in so many old schools,
and all the area was just hammered.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Yeah, cammered, and that's you know, that's terrible on on
so many levels. And so you know, of course, like
we asked about signs, but it's also it's more than signs, right,
it's I, you know, want the community of Asheville to recover, Sir.
(37:10):
I hope the mountain near reopens. But I remember I
remember Ashville being very dormble, and I would love to
see it be that again. Just like Todd out of
ste Florida, he's you know, been posting about, you know,
the signs in Saint Pete. But who've been watching that too,
(37:32):
because there was definitely devastation in Saint Pete. I saw
that the crane had fallen, right, the fabergroot for the
Tropicana is gone. Also a baseball fan, so like seeing
that stadium was just Oh.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
So Todd from Saint Peter's what what's his handling?
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Vintage Neon?
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I believe is his handle following him? That is?
Speaker 2 (37:53):
That is, he makes incredible signs, like miniature signs. He
did yes sand Man, Yes, yes, he did the Sandman.
So so he has posted the Sandman Survived. He also
posted the signs down. I don't remember the street name,
but it's the Landmark Hotel, the Banyon Tree and so
(38:18):
where you know you were talking about how Nick says
that your photographs help you know with the history of
the sign that was That was Todd's question. So the
side panel of the banion is gone and the parking
little sign from beneath the motel sign is gone. Does
anyone have recent pictures to compare? So I went back
to my archives. Last time I was there was in
(38:39):
twenty twenty one, and I was like, okay, the side
and panel was gone in twenty twenty one, but the
parking sign was still there. Okay, So trying to determine, like,
is that damage from the hurricane? Has it come down before? Right?
So there's the value in multiple people photographing the same signs? Yeah,
because that is that that wolf of acknowledge and information?
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Didn't he show some pictures of the Sandman?
Speaker 2 (39:04):
He did? Yes, the Sandman was the first one I
saw that he posted. But you know how Instagram shows
you things out of order. I'm not sure what then first,
but the salmon was the first one that I saw,
and then I saw the what's treat?
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Is that on?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
We'll see hair and yeah, we'll show the sunken Gardens sign,
which looked great.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Whoever built a Sandman sign, they are not only just
an artisan but an engineer, because that thing withstood some
heavy winds, yes, and is still standing. Oh my heavens
on two.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Posts right, two posts stuck on the ground.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
No, God bless them, Oh my heavens. And that and
that paltryes those two paltrees are still right there. Good
for them. And that'll bring us to the end of
our third segment. The first segment is going to be
kind of like, are I normally do this for the
bucket sign or the bucket list? Your sign? Bucket list all?
(40:08):
It sounds like you do have some bucket list signs
that you want to get to, Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (40:13):
I do I up with them? Off the top of
my head. Let me work on that.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
I'll give you a few seconds. You're listening to International
sign Finders. Welcome back to International sign Finders. Glad you're
still with this. We are talking to the amazing Stephanie
(40:41):
Potit Retro Roadside Photography is her Instagram handle you added
dot com that's her website. She has a Flicker account.
We'll put that in the show notes. We'll have all
these in the show notes. And if there's any mistakes
I make. Stephanie didn't make any mistakes. Let me tell
you that it's going to be. If there are any
mistakes that I make, I'll have those corrections in the
(41:03):
show notes as well. Now we've talked about No. Forty
eight forty eight in four months. You know, I see
art the hero, the hero journey starting at our first one.
Now we're kind of bringing bringing it around as much
as we can for our bucket list items. You've done,
(41:26):
You've probably taken pictures of so many bucket list items
for me that I am a jealous b covetous and
see I want to do that just all in that
order too. You too, when we were talking about uh
signs that you missed one that came down was it
(41:47):
Saint Petersburg, Florida as well?
Speaker 2 (41:50):
So there was one of the China and that came
down out of Saint Petersburg and it was a yeah,
you know, rooftop mounted air. Then every time again taught
from Saint Petersburg posts it, I just I break inside
because I saw it and it was there and and
(42:12):
now it is gone, and that is I guess what
they say, that's you know, the beauty of life is
that isn't permanent. Yeah, so but still it's like, ah,
I had my chance and I missed it. But there
are are so many bucket listers. Uh, it's insane.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
The first one I could hear the US. It could
be anywhere in the world. Oh well, and I just
complicated things again.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
Now you didn't, you didn't. Then the Hong Kong. The
answer is is easily Hong Kong. If if budget and
time and real life were no object, I would be
on the first plane to Hong Kong to photograph the
neon that is there before it disappears.
Speaker 1 (42:57):
They're swapping it out for LED.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
They're swapping it out for LED, or it's coming down
and it's not going back up.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
And I think the Kowloon City folks. They've always been
kind of independent. It used to be a DJ many
many years ago. Uh, there was a metal band called
Kowloon Walled City. I'm like, what in the world is
this name? And then I looked it up and they're
kind of like their own enclave within an enclave, because
(43:24):
that's all Hong Kong is is an enclave on the
coast of China, uh, for so many years, and they're
kind of independent. And there's that pawn shop sign with
the green and the orange and the scaffolding and just
the amazing I know, I'll taking your thunderway.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
I'm so sorry, no no, no, no, please please go on.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
So gorgeous that they gorgeous, like like Totem with the
neon and the little sign on the side that says
come in in Petne's. I I make these what they
call composites, photoshop composites, and I love taking like the
Tokyo neon, mixing it with the Hong Kong and some
(44:10):
Houston or wherever neon and putting people in, like mixing
like Star Wars and Star Trek and Captain America and
Doctor Who all into one, and just making that happen,
and I will use Hong Kong, especially that pawn shop,
because of how striking it is. It's when when she said,
and she is not mincing words, Hong Kong needs to
(44:32):
be photographed before it's cracked on even more. Yeah, I'm sorry,
I took no the words.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
No, no, no, it's it's it's fine. Steve Spiegel has
has posted some photos of Hong Kong, and every time
I see them, I fall over. So that is yeah,
I love I love love of Steve. Steve is Steve's incredible.
There's the Flexillums in New York that Josh Silber has
(45:02):
photographed a few times. I need to come go as
a Josh so he can take me to the flex
loom side. We did get World of Tyle flex Loom,
so they actually were a They were a Neon production company.
A large portion of their collection were all of their
materials is now actually at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati.
(45:24):
But they were a Neon production shop that pre dated
at least World War two, maybe World War one. Todd's
going to know. Sorry, Todd, I know you just told
me all of this a few weeks ago, and I'm
butchering it, but Flexlom was a Neon production plant in
New York. Uh, and they had a like they still have, right,
and it is this incredible globe sign I love. I
(45:46):
love globes as well, so globes and Dion is like
uber bucket list.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Buffalos, the Buffalo New York one, which is amazing.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Yeah, that's that is your probably No, no, it's up
for New York State, so it would be buff Hell. Yes, yes,
so it is this globe that's okay, No, no, it
is this beautiful globe sign and it's it's heavenly, it's
to die for. There's the candy shop that again. Josh
(46:18):
is also photographed Hilda brands that I've ever seen, which
I love to see and go into and explore.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
I thes like Central Camera to me that you know,
both of those are on the same level of I
want to go see.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
I love Central Camera. I love Central Camera so much.
I actually have a shirt from Central Camera and it's
falling apart and I want another one. Central Camera. If
you're listening, the like screen prints coming off, so just
keep making them all the way back to buy another one.
The Joe Gambino's Bakery sign in New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
I spent a total of about six hours and new
lines in twenty fourteen before my sister and I had
to leave the state of Louisiana because of an impending hurricane.
Yeah so yeah, yeah, So I really have very little
from New Orleans that I have photographed, and it has
been on my list ever since to get back down there.
(47:19):
Alabama has incredible signs that I need to photograph. I'm
really sad that the Moonwinks Motel sign is gone. I'm
hoping it reappears some day. Oh no, yeah, yeah, wow,
it's on I know, are breaking. Also the Moon Motel
(47:39):
in New Jersey. If someone has a pair of clippers,
if you could just go clip all of that down
and reveal the sign for all of us, you're not fantastic.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
I think three years Rabbit took pictures of it.
Speaker 2 (47:51):
Recently, well, yep, it is almost hirely covered in sign
in trees and branch is in. Yeah. Someone had posted
a photo of bit and I was like, wait, is
this a recent photo? Did someone finally go in and
trim and they're like, no, this photos like five years old.
It's like, dang it, because that sign is incredible.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Is talking to my buddy Spooky. You know, Wildwood kind
of takes pride in in the do walk. I mean
I even made wah Wall make a do wop sign
for Heaven's sakes, which is amazing. No Wahwaffer doing that.
But the moon is such an iconic sign, and I'm
(48:38):
surprised nobody's just done like a Heather David and just said, hey,
this is our sign and had done a fundraiser because
when she told when she tells the story about the
little you know, the little kids with the dimples still
in their fingers, you know, the knuckles haven't you know,
separated from the you know, the bow, the knucklebones haven't
(49:01):
started protruding. They had stuff at dimples in their knuckles.
But she's talking about like a five year old or
a four year old given her five dollars and almost crying.
You know that that's.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Was that for that Stephen's take sign, And so it
was for.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
The Stephens sign. Yeah, yes, I'm superior, He's Wildwood hasn't
done that yet.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
I don't. I don't know how far Motel is from Wildwood.
I haven't. I mean I've driven it, but I couldn't
tell you the top of my head.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Why am I thinking it's in Wildwood?
Speaker 2 (49:33):
It's it's not. But let's see her.
Speaker 1 (49:38):
Uh New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (49:43):
Let's see here, what if we gots it's like.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
A motel productions? How is in how New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
It's in Howell, New Jersey. Yeah, yeah, I don't know
how how far Howel is from wild Led.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
Well, while you're giving your next bucket list item, I
will look it up.
Speaker 2 (50:08):
That was what I was doing next next bucket list item.
I mean, unfortunately some of these are our bucket listers
that are are gone right. I really wanted, like the
College Crest Motel that was in Alton, Illinois. Thank you
Deb Jane for the assist on this one. Because it
has this this crazy swooping arrow right that starts on
(50:31):
the left, goes to the right side of sign, and
then back to the left and back to the right.
It reminds me of the this wind motel in Colorado
that has a similar just crazy curvy arrow.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
Oh wow, that's almost like the is it Buebelo or
Duringo just south of south of Colorado Springs right off
Panners State. It has one It has motel like those
you know, those boxing letters, and it has like the
arrow going in and out, but not as it.
Speaker 2 (51:06):
That's exactly the one I'm thinking of. Yeah, just yourself
of of Tableau. Oh that's the was it? The U
s A motel?
Speaker 1 (51:17):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
Everything in southern Utah. I need to photograph so badly.
The the homemade pies signs please please. Green River, Yes, yes,
those tights incredible.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Mm hmmm, uh, Saint george' all, the Dixie charge, the
Dixy photograph. And there's that Hustard place in Cedar City.
I think they've got Nielsen's Is it Nils?
Speaker 2 (51:59):
It might be since that's the yes, old school custard
from ut.
Speaker 1 (52:03):
Yeah, there's one in Cedar City that we stopped at.
I think I might be mistaken about their sign, but
if they do have if they don't have a sign,
here's your hint. Get an old city signed listen to us.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
It just should Yes, you should absolutely have an ultimate sign.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (52:20):
The Sleepy Hollow Hotel in Green River, Utah.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Yes, oh my gosh, that's so great.
Speaker 2 (52:25):
Oh badly.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
We stopped at Green River and uh number one. As
soon as you get into Green River, that Neon welcome
sign is amazing. Any you start coming in like the
I think the robbers Nest is there, Yes, I think
so sleepy as hollow. I didn't get there. It was
like it it was twin night, no Golden Hour, so
(52:49):
a lot of these hadn't come on. But just going
down main Street, I'm sure there's some other a lot
of others that I missed. Just doing that was you
know that that's a bucket list checked off And it
is kind of in the middle of nowhere too. But
you will drive her out.
Speaker 2 (53:07):
That's fine, that's fine. I'm good. I'm good with metal
driving for hours. The West West Court Motel in Delta, Colorado.
I have never seen that sign, and that is the
one where it's there's the sun up top and there's
the like neon like squiggles that extend from the sign
to actually create the sun rays. So there's anything with
(53:28):
a neon extension, I'm a sucker for.
Speaker 1 (53:31):
I've got to answer about the how from Wildwood? Oh?
Speaker 2 (53:34):
Yes, how far is it?
Speaker 1 (53:36):
You know it's just down the street. One hundred miles.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
Yeah, that's it's just down the street. For you know,
a California driver.
Speaker 1 (53:43):
You never know with like you know, the uh some
preservation group in like Wildwood. But maybe work with people
and how to get things started helped them get things started,
Like you know, like Neon speaks, they have the the
rest of ration packets that they do. Maybe someone can
(54:04):
inspire Hal to do that. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (54:06):
Have you interviewed Randall ann and All yet?
Speaker 1 (54:08):
No? Not yet. I need credible for some reason. I
need to. But then like I'll find like uh signed
Peeper or you know, uh, I need to do DV
over DT. Oh my gosh, he is. He's one of
(54:29):
my heim. Yes, yeah, Tim is amazing.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
Tim does such fun stuff with film. His film photography
is incredible.
Speaker 1 (54:37):
Well, the Lavender film. I didn't know that existed, so
if it, if.
Speaker 2 (54:43):
It's weird, Tim has found it. Yeah, I was on satography.
He is, and he's a very tall man and I
am five foot two, so me talking to Tim is hilarious.
Six four Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
He's probably taller than me. Huh.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
My guess would be yes, But at a certain point
everyone is taller than me, so it's a little hard
to gauge. But I think he's taller than you.
Speaker 1 (55:12):
My oldest daughter is five four and she's nine, and
my wife's so it's so weird having a nine year
old coming up under your chin, just like.
Speaker 2 (55:25):
Well, your nine year olds taller than me.
Speaker 1 (55:27):
Yeah, I'm not doing that to rub it in. I'm
just like, no, no, no, I've got a nine year
old that's taller than some adults. It's so weird.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
My joke used to be on five five in heels, because.
Speaker 1 (55:38):
That's what I'm talking to.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
The average the average female height was five five So yeah,
five five five in heels.
Speaker 1 (55:45):
That's fine.
Speaker 2 (55:46):
Yeah, but heels are very useful when you know, traversing
freeway overpasses or exit ramps to photograph me on signs.
Speaker 1 (55:55):
And my grandmother was five two as well, and I
think she could take me in a fist when I
was younger. She's an old Oklahoma from the dust Bowl,
and yeah, you don't mess with her.
Speaker 2 (56:07):
So is my grandma. Yeah, so was my grandmother. Yeah
that there's an Indian heritage on my father's side, and
so most of a portion of my family. Yeah, after
coming to California for a while actually moves back to Oklahoma. Yeah, yes, absolutely,
Snooky could have taken me in a fight. Yeah, with
(56:29):
her eyes closed.
Speaker 1 (56:31):
I have a great grandmother that if you look at
pictures of her she has the long black raids and
she's standing outside of a tepee in Oklahoma with her
mother in law wrapped in Cherokee design blankets. And when
she got married, this is back you know, discrimination all
(56:54):
that bull crab on her. When her mother assigned her
wedding certificate, it said holder white. I'm like, there's so
much there's so much heritage that we just lost with
that one statement. It's just it's kind of heartbreaking. But yes,
(57:17):
that's unfortunately, that's life. But where were we at? Oh? Wildwood? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (57:23):
What a wild wood? Howell? Yes. Oklahoma, by the way,
is also one of the states that surprised me with
the quality of the neon, the politeness of the people.
Uh huh, just loved it.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
Oklahoma City, chick Ciche, Oklahoma, and Tulsa are kind of
like the triangle of Oklahoma to me for me on signage.
Speaker 2 (57:54):
Yeah, so we also is actually in one of the
places No sorry, go ahead, no.
Speaker 1 (57:58):
You go ahead with Tulsa.
Speaker 2 (58:00):
Oh, so, Tulsa was actually one of the Oklahoma is
the state that I went to after the pandemic. Oklahoma
was the first place that I traveled to. So I
travel you'd be with a couple of signed friends. So
it was me, Josh silver Will so three yeared Rabbit Dina.
(58:24):
I forget if Steve was there or not. Alexis was there,
and like they kind of did their own They started
at Texas and we started in Oklahoma City and met
in the middle and then went our separate ways. But
Josh and I ended up in Tulsa, and you know,
we approached this Italian is usually dinner. We find this
(58:47):
great Italian restaurant and it is packed, and we were
a little nervous right walking into this very full restaurant
post pandemic. You're not really sure what you're walking into.
And we had the most incredible conversation with the guy
at the our, you know, sitting next to us, who
I'm going to guess was younger than me, but just
about the culture in Tulsa and now he owns and
owned a bike shop or works at a bike shop,
(59:09):
and and so talking about all the trails and all
the rides they do, you know, and the maintenance in
downtown and just like it's it's really what I love
about Neon is everyone everyone has a sign, right everywhere
has a sign. So it's a great opener conversation, and
(59:31):
so I can go to forty eight in four months
and talk to anybody about their signage. So not only
are they are they art, but they're this fantastic like
unifying collective that makes every place different than anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (59:50):
And that is the perfect spot that we'll have to end.
I've been an awesome conversation Number one thanks to Corey
or reminded me of Stephanie's because I'm Adhd and I
go in about fifty different directions at times, so Tory
got a big shout out to Too Much Fire. Thank
you so much for suggesting Stephanie, and Stephanie, thank you
(01:00:14):
so much for just kind of introducing us to your
story arc, because it's an amazing story arc, don't. I
mean you've you've lived kind of a life that most
people write about. This is like, oh, what's the what's
the writer from the fifties? Yeah, where he did like
(01:00:39):
the gonzo type writing, not not like a Hunter s Thompson.
But no, Cara Whac did a whole bunch of like
traversing and just write crazy stuff. So it's kind of
a Cara Whacking adventure. Hopefully that's not again, Soult No Nona.
Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
Hey, I knew who he was, right.
Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Yeah, he's like as soon as you said Carawac, it
came to my mind. Yeah. So yeah, he spent a
little time in Houston. I don't know if you had
the greatest thing to say about Houston, but yeah, he
gave me Houston. But so your website plug it. It's amazing.
We didn't even get to the match books. I wanted
to talk about match books. We didn't get to it. Yeah,
(01:01:21):
I can give.
Speaker 2 (01:01:21):
You a five second on the matchbooks.
Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
They're what I found when I couldn't travel. Yes, matchbooks
are my pandemic hobby that became a way to literally
armchair travel by exploring matchbooks.
Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
And if you're listening to this, go to her website
and look at her and also her Instagram feed, but
see her matchbook arc. It's amazing, just amazing. So I'll
say that it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:01:53):
Thank you, Drew.
Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
You're welcome. So your website is richer Roadside Photography dot
com dot com. And you can you said that's the
abbreviated uh look into your sign hunting life. Yes, and
that is the greatest abbreviation that you probably do. Just
(01:02:15):
your collections you can spend hours on your website. It's
it's tremendous. Yeah, thank you, You're welcome. Sorry, I'm I'm
overly complimentary at times. It's awkward, so.
Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
And I struggle to take compliments, so I appreciate yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
The same way too.
Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
It's it's weird, It's it's also it's helpful sometimes to
get a different perspective. Yeah, right, because I have my
own you know, I wanted to recreate I mean not recreate,
but basically redo chasing me on ten years later. Right,
I wanted to spend this summer again forty eight in
four months, and that was completely impractical and absolutely not
(01:02:55):
going to happen, you know, maybe right, I mean my
at one point, my long term goal was to save
enough to buy an RV and road trip basically full time.
Oh my god, work remotely and road trip full time.
Because you know, if I if I'm in Fresno and
I want to photograph the Fremont Theater and it's not
(01:03:16):
lit up that day or the weather is terrible, I
need to come back. I need to be able to
park it in Fresno and stan in Fresno for as
long as I need to hit all the photographs I want,
do all the other things I want to do, and
then leave right because you could spend years doing just that,
and I would love to.
Speaker 1 (01:03:37):
But it is that Fresno. It's like eatybeaty little towns
like I'm talking to b Bailey, Brett Bailey, you know,
just the Panhandle. I remember going through some little Panhandle town,
probably about thirty miles in and there was an awesome
marquee that I you know, I had only had an
(01:03:58):
hour's sleep and I was driving from Denver to Houston
on an hour sleep. Don't do that, kids, I fell
asleep for like thirty seconds, about an hour outside of home,
and a it was sobery. BM I didn't die. And
see I was lucky as I was lucky as in
(01:04:18):
the Irish. Don't do it. Don't do it. So you
got your website. What else do you want to plug?
Oh my goodness, I'll give you one last thing to plug.
Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
I'm gonna plug whatever sign is in your hometown.
Speaker 1 (01:04:38):
Yes, thank you, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
Whoever is listening, whatever sign is in your hometown, go
see it. Yes, you don't know how long it's going
to be there, if it's still attached to a functioning business.
Support that business, right. The number of places I've walked
into and said I love your sign and I watched
them look at me like I'm crazy, it's a lot
people don't realize what they have. Support that sign, like
(01:05:02):
plug that sign because you have it and it's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
And that is the perfect place to end. Thank you
so much Stephanie for joining us on the show this week.
And as Stephanie just said, I will give a big
old amen. Find that side of your town, whether you've
taken one hundred thousand photos of it or haven't taken
one yet, go find it, take a picture of it,
and share it because you've added to the collective consciousness
(01:05:30):
of the signs around the country. So that'll do it
for this week's edition of International Sign Finders. Get out,
hit the pavement, have fun, and until next time, see
you later.
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