Many designers and artists have a true love for vintage and retro design and share their passion when the opportunity arises. One could probably find several hundred showcases of retro designs on display today in the 21st century, but not many of actual vintage ones that were used in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s and are still in use today.

To celebrate the beauty of vintage and retro typography, we have compiled a showcase of vintage and retro signage to inspire you: a great excuse to take five minutes out to admire the styles, whether simple or complex, and the love that went into creating these gorgeous vintage signs.

Showcase of Vintage Signage

Sydney

hampton inn. green bay, wi. 2006

deangelis (delightfully different) donuts
Rochester, PA

bakersfield
Drive-up green burger/pastrami joint

Simmons and Clark Jeweler in Downtown Detroit

liquor. santa monica, ca. 2006

Put Some South in Your Mouth

Seoul rock
Rock & roll joint somewhere in the upmarket Apgujeong.

Mel’s Drive In
Great retro neon and bub signage for Mel’s in Hollywood.

they go together like a horse and carriage

4600ish N Western

Walthamstow Stadium

Motel Hamburg

Remember me, summer

Italy Ninetta von Blaschke

Tradewinds Motel

Canterbury Records

IN, Cambridge City-U.S. 40 Rihm’s Drive-In Liquor Store Sign

Johnny Rockets on Woodward in Downtown Detroit
A cool sign for a 50’s style diner, this chain of restaurant was originally launched out of California in 1986. Located in Foxtown, this diner is right near The Fillmore, Fox Theater, and Comerica Park.

Eyetwist signs

The Flame

Eyetwist signs 2

Urban Script
As seen in downtown Buffalo, New York.

Ice-Cold

Casa de cadillac, Sherman oaks

prcssd. las vegas, nv. 2007

The Palms Motor Hotel
Portland, Oregon.

Lights for Liquor

route 66. seligman, az. 2007

Bubbles

Parkside
Parkside Candies in Amherst, NY.

Krispy Kreme in Kolor
Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN.

Carling Black Label Beer
Albany, GA; Oglethorpe Lounge.

South Haven

Last Click

route 66. hackberry, az. 2007.

Uncle Jer’s
Great side wall signage for Uncle Jer’s on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles doing business since 1978.

Chubbie’s

R.I.P. Zipperhead
A South Street icon bites the dust. At least the new shop left the giant creepy ants on the facade. And there is Crash, Bang, Boom — a very respectable spin-off shop, around the corner. Philadelphia, PA.

>>> Moving Forward >>>

Flickr Groups

Flickr is a superb place to search for inspiration of all kinds, no matter what your project. Check out some of these great sign-related groups, and contribute to them if you have your own great photos of vintage signs!

• Faded Signage
  Dedicated to faded signs, and has over 13,500 photos to date!
• San Jose Vintage Signage
  Unique and vintage signage (in their original form) from San Jose, California.
• Signage & Typography
  Typography in signs, including advertising, neon and even simple instructional text.
• Vintage Neon Signage & More
  Old signage from motels, shops, bowling alleys, car lots and cafes.
• I Love Old Signs!
  Working and broken neon signs, steel signs, plastic signs and ghost ads.
• Motel & Hotel Signs
  This group is dedicated to motel and hotel signs, both new and old.
• Vintage Texaco
  Vintage Texaco goods, from old oil cans to postcards to toys… and of course vintage signs.
• Plastic Signage
  Plastic signs: new, vintage and everything in between.
• Liquor Stores
  Photos of liquor stores. And what do liquor stores have in common other than liquor? Signs!
• Vacuum Formed Signs
  Vacuum formed signs from all eras.

Further Resources

• Making Vintage-Style Signs
  A great walkthrough on how to make your very own vintage-style signs for your own home.
• How Neon Signs Are Made
  A great article on the history of neon signs and how they are made.
• 50 Examples of Vintage Typography
  A collection of 50 vintage posters advertisements that make great use of typography.
• 20 Insane Vintage and Grungy Typography Poster Designs
  A magnificent collection of modern typographic posters that use vintage and grungy effects.
• Vintage and Retro Typography Showcase
  A beautiful and elegant collection of vintage and retro typography used in advertisement and brand design.
• 60 Rare and Unusual Vintage Signs
  A huge and stunning collection of vintage signs of all kinds, including labels and packaging and street signs.
• Retro and Vintage in Modern Web Design
  Same topic, different media. A great showcase of vintage and retro styles from modern Web design!
• 35 Beautiful Vintage and Retro Photoshop Tutorials
  A huge collection of the very best vintage and retro Photoshop tutorials!

(al)

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© Callum Chapman for Smashing Magazine, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us | Digg this | Stumble on StumbleUpon! | Tweet it! | Submit to Reddit | Forum Smashing Magazine
Post tags: retro, showcases, signage, typography, vintage

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