The History of Signs

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The History of Neon Signs

The concept behind neon signs was first conceived in 1675, when the French astronomer Jean Picard observed a faint glow in a mercury barometer tube. When the tube was shaken a glow called barometric light occurred, but the cause of the light (static electricity) was not then understood.

History Note: Jean Picard is better known as the astronomer who first accurately measured the length of a degree of a meridian (longitude line) and from that computed the size of the Earth. A barometer is a device used to measure atmospheric pressure, there are two main types of barometers: mercury and aneroid. Evangelista Torricelli invented the barometer in 1643.

Even though barometric light was not yet understood, it was investigated. When the principles of electricity were discovered, scientists moved forward towards the invention of various forms of lighting. By 1855, there was the geissler tube named after Heinrich Geissler, a German glassblower. Gas in the tube was placed under low pressure and electrical voltage was applied, the result was that the gas glowed. After electrical generators were invented, many people experimented with applying electric power to tubes of gas. Several electric discharge lamps or vapor lamps were invented from 1900 onwards in Europe and the United States. Simply defined the electric discharge lamp is a lighting device consisting of a transparent container within which a gas is energized by an applied voltage, and thereby made to glow.

The French engineer, chemist, and inventor Georges Claude (b. Sept. 24, 1870, d. May 23, 1960), was the first to apply an electrical discharge to a sealed tube of neon gas (circa 1902) to create a lamp. The word neon comes from the Greek "neos," meaning "the new gas." Georges Claude displayed the first neon lamp to the public on December 11, 1910, in Paris. In 1923, Georges Claude and his French company Claude Neon, introduced neon gas signs to the United States, by selling two to a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles. Earle C. Anthony purchased the two signs reading "Packard" for $24,000. Neon lighting quickly became a popular fixture in outdoor advertising. Visible even in daylight, people would stop and stare at the first neon signs dubbed "liquid fire."

History Note: Before there were neon signs in America, there were commercial sign tubes that used a carbon dioxide fill. The carbon dioxide signs were made by a man called Moore. Neon gas was discovered by William Ramsey and M. W. Travers in 1898 in London. Neon is a rare gaseous element present in the atmosphere to the extent of 1 part in 65,000 of air. It is obtained by liquefaction of air and separated from the other gases by fractional distillation.

Making a Neon Sign -Hollow glass tubes used to make neon lamps come in 4, 5 and 8 ft lengths. To shape the tubes, the glass is heated by lit gas and forced air. Several compositions of glass are used depending on the country and supplier. What is called 'Soft' glass has compositions including lead glass, soda-lime glass, and barium glass. "Hard" glass in the borosilicate family is also used. Depending on the glass composition, the working range of glass is from 1600' F to over 2200'F. The temperature of the air-gas flame depending on the fuel and ratio, is approximately 3000'F using propane gas.

The tubes are scored (partial cut) while cold with a file and then snapped apart while hot. Then the artisan creates the angle and curve combinations. When the tubing is finished, the tube most be processed. This process varies depending on country; the procedure is called "bombarding" in the US. The tube is partial evacuated of air. Next, it is short circuited with high voltage current until the tube reaches a temperature of 550 F. Then the tube is evacuated again until it reaches a vacuum of 10-3 torr. Argon or neon is back filled to a specific pressure depending on the diameter of the tube and sealed off. In the case of an argon-filled tube, additional steps are taken for the injection of mercury; typically, 10-40ul depending on tube length and climate it is to operate in.

Red is the color neon gas produces, neon gas glows with its characteristic red light even at atmospheric pressure. There are now more than 150 colors possible; almost every color other than red is produced using argon, mercury and phosphor. Neon tubes actually refer to all positive-column discharge lamps, regardless of the gas filling. The colors in order of discovery were blue (Mercury), white (Co2), gold (Helium), red (Neon), and then different colors from phosphor-coated tubes. The mercury spectrum is rich in ultraviolet light which in turn excites a phosphor coating on the inside of the tube to glow. Phosphors are available in most any pastel colors.

Source: Mary Bellis

The History of Pub Signs

Most historians agree that it was the Ancient Romans who get the credit for originating the pub sign. Roman wine merchants would hang vine leaves or bushes on a pole just outside their establishment to let the illiterate public know where to find drink and games. As time went on, the Romans added illustrations to signs outside their venue. One of the earliest of these signs depicts two Roman slaves carrying a vase of wine between them. Yet another features the Roman god of Bacchus to signify a local wine merchant.

Over the next hundred years, to grow their expanding empire, the Romans created a system of inns-taverns along newly constructed roads. To identify themselves to travelers, these inns would often post an easily identifiable sign. Because the majority of the public could not read, there was no reason to write the establishments name on the sign. Often the inn opened without a name and over the years, a name evolved from the illustration on its sign.

In the middle ages, many of the signs had a religious theme, using emblems of Catholic Saints or other religious symbols. When King Henry broke with the Catholic Church signs depicting royalty, battles and admirals became popular. This was also around the time that darts became a popular pub game. They were most likely derived as an indoor version of archery and the first dart boards were probably the sides of wood barrels.

Signs became a method of advertising after King Richard II passed an Act that required all ale houses to post a sign in 1393. This was to identify themselves to the official ale taster rather than to promote their establishment to the public, but it practice caught on. Since that time a creative pub sign and good times have always gone together.

Today, PubSignShop.com offers you a wide variety of fun and whimsical signs for work and pleasure based on the pub sign tradition. You will find just the right words to express yourself whether it is for a birthday, graduation, retirement, anniversary or wedding gift or a practical sign for the workplace. Cheers!

Source: pubsigns.com