Night Lights

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

The familiar buzz of a neon sign could be heard outside many a diner, bar, and theater in Bakersfield throughout the 1940s, and ‘50s. The glow emitted from these signs caused an electric stir in people. And it still does today.

For many, neon symbolizes a time when drive-in theaters and burger joints were the norm; a throwback to early Vegas and the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood.

Sure, neon signs are still used today, but the heyday is long gone. These signs became an extravagant purchase and upkeep wasn’t cheap.

So neon began to vanish from the storefronts of our town throughout the 1980s, replaced by less expensive, less elaborate versions. And as LED became available, many stores chose to recreate signs similar to those old neon ones with this more cost-efficient substitute—but something was lost in translation.

Still, some businesses were steadfast in their decision not to change. Here in town, more than a dozen establishments have held on to neon, including the Green Frog Market at Bernard Street and Alta Vista Drive and Mauricio’s restaurants.

And with nostalgia at an all-time high for a lot of baby boomers in our city, it only makes sense that neon is experiencing another day in the sun.

In fact, the Kern County Museum is collecting old neon signs from businesses long since closed in order to restore them and display them in Pioneer Village.

Lori Wear, Curator of Collections at Kern County Museum, explained that the Museum’s efforts to display old Bakersfield neon signs started after a donation of the Tejon Theatre neon sign back in 1998.

“We realized that the collection on our grounds ended around World War II and displaying these signs would extend the exhibits to the mid-century modern period,” Wear explained. “And since many of the local theaters were designed by Charles Biggar and were run by the Lemucchi family, there was a major local connection.”

Many of the signs come to the Museum needing a lot of work before they can be displayed.

“Right now, O.B. Nuzum’s sign is at Center Neon where they are bending the glass,” she continued. “And the Silver Fox sign is ready but we’re waiting on some piping so we can properly display both of those signs. But we’re evaluating how big we can grow this exhibit. It’s got a great 1950s feel that a lot of people connect with.”

So while the glow of neon signs may be a distant memory for many of us, there are still those who want to preserve that part of our history—the part that connects us to a simpler way of life when selecting which drive-in to go to for milkshakes was the toughest decision of the day.

Log on to BakersfieldMagazine.net to see a map of some of the neon signs still glowing strong today!

• View Neon Sign Locations map

Article appeared in our 28-2 Issue - June 2011