I thought I had done well to find two vintage signs to photograph in the Chicago area last month, and then one night, on the way from Elmhurst to Wheaton, we drove by the Highland Manor Motel. Of course it was on the wrong side of the road, so I had to turn around and go back to photograph it, but it was worth it…this is a great example of the style of vintage signs that I love!
In addition to the sign at Mack’s Golden Pheasant, there was one other vintage sign I knew I wanted to photograph when we traveled north last month…the sign at Malloy’s Liquors in Glen Ellyn:
I don’t think I’ve ever photographed a liquor store sign before, but this particular one stood out in my memory. I could just say it’s because it was on the way to the grocery store we went to when I was a child (which is true), and I saw it a lot, but I also remember it because sometimes my dad would go there, and they always gave me a Dum-Dums Pop when I went with him!
When we decided to go up to the Chicagoland area last month for Frosty Faustings, I decided I needed to do some research and find at least one cool vintage sign to photograph. Pretty much the first thing that popped up when Googling was Mack’s Golden Pheasant, a restaurant on North Avenue in Elmhurst. The sign is just the kind I’m always looking for:
I was kind of amused to discover this place, because it turns out I drove by it regularly when I was in college. My interest in all things retro hadn’t manifested itself yet, though, so I guess I never really noticed it!
The sign is a little worse for the wear, and I can’t really even tell if this dry cleaner in Cahokia is still open for business, but it’s definitely vintage!
This vintage road sign is a little different from the ones I usually share, because it’s a shopping center sign, instead of one for an individual business. It’s also very simple, but I love the lettering and the flame…it definitely has a cool, retro vibe!
I really have no idea how old this Cahokia Schnucks sign actually is (the store itself appears to be an old Kroger, so old enough, I suppose), but it feels retro to me, maybe because it’s a cube. I also think the Schnucks soldier probably has something to do with it…while you see him on their trucks and in their advertising, he doesn’t appear on store signs too often!
Update: The good people at Schnucks were kind enough to give me a little background on the store location and sign. I was correct that it was originally a Kroger store, which opened in 1982, and was purchased by Schnucks in 1986. They inserted the Schnucks soldier logo (which debuted way back in 1968 as part of their “Revolutionary Low Prices” campaign), into the original store sign at that point.
I love when a cool vintage sign is attached to an equally cool local establishment! We’ve never eaten at the Goody Goody Diner, but it is definitely a St. Louis thing, and after smelling the amazingly delicious cooking smells wafting out of the restaurant on a cold January day, I think we’re going to have to enjoy a breakfast there in the near future!
Back to vintage-looking signs…this time, the Flamingo Bowl on Washington Avenue in St. Louis. Whether they’re vintage or modern, bowling alleys always have the best signs!
Usually I’m all about the vintage (or at least vintage-inspired) signs. But every now and again, a more modern sign catches my eye. The Roalita’s Cantina (located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis), sign might be my favorite modern sign yet!
