VINTAGE NEON SIGN

Vintage neon sign “Apollo11”, from the early 1970s.

A rare neon sign with original working neon tubes. Want something extraordinary in your home? Something out of this world? Then this is the perfect decorative piece for you. It will stand out in any home or establishment, captivating everyone with its size and neon lights in three colors. Due to its association with the first manned Moon landing, it’s not just a collector’s item but also a reminder of a historic event that will remain in the collective memory of humanity and an unforgettable moment in global culture.

Apollo 11 was the first manned space mission to land on the Moon. In 1969, when the landing occurred, millions of people were glued to their television screens, as the Moon landing had been a subject of fascination for years. People were anxious, not knowing what might befall the first astronauts. Would they encounter extraterrestrials? Would harmful radioactive rays kill them? There were more questions than answers, but people were still more curious and excited than frightened, thrilled that humanity could land on the moon and even travel through space. The successful landing and subsequent return to Earth thrilled humanity and inspired the imagination for years to come. It was and will forever be a story of what is possible with science, technology, and the will to achieve the impossible. Therefore, it’s not surprising that during that time, people almost worshipped the Apollo 11 mission and produced items with a space theme.

The first neon lights appeared as early as 1890, but they were used exclusively for industrial purposes, such as by miners in France who had neon lamps. Neon lights as we know them today appeared around 1910 when they were invented by French innovator Georges Claude. The first neon sign was created in 1915 for a Parisian hair salon. In 1923, the motor company Packard Motors purchased two neon signs for advertising in Los Angeles, bringing neon signs to America for the first time, where their popularity soared. Claude held a patent on neon lights, giving him a monopoly on them in the 1920s. Only after the patent expired and the secret of making these bright lights was revealed did others have the opportunity to start manufacturing them. That’s when their popularity skyrocketed. In the 1930s, neon lights could be found in the Moulin Rouge in Paris, on the Las Vegas Strip, and in New York’s Times Square. Over the next few decades, neon provided vibrant light, transforming ordinary buildings into continuous advertising displays for all types of businesses. Neon lights were even used for political purposes. In communist countries, buildings were decorated with them to give city residents the glamorous feel of Western metropolises. However, making neon lights was quite time-consuming and complex, as they had to be hand-blown and shaped, and then filled with gas. They also began to lose their futuristic charm in the 1960s, leading to a decline in their popularity, as they were replaced by more modern and cheaper lighting products. Today, they are a popular home decoration, rarely used for advertising purposes like in their early days.

Dimensions: 156 x 34.5 x 9 cm

Weight: 16 kg

The neon sign is in excellent condition. The neon tubes are original and working.