Nick Freeman 

Good Old Neon 

41 

What constitutes a great sign? For me it's an elusive synchronicity of color, shape, typography, and iconography, enhanced by authenticity and eccentricity. Signs that have been maintained and still illuminate are always beguiling. The fragility of glass tubing continuously exposed to harsh Chicago weather makes the survival of an old sign a kind of urban miracle, deserving, at the least, of photographic preservation. Even the many that have outlived their functional glory days have their own visual appeal. Animated neon signs, working or not, are a special treat