It is no secret that I am passionate about neon signs and art…..or that the same can be said of my attitudes toward vintage technology and the period much of it is from. I have, more than a few times, used both and in some cases a mixture of them as the basis for a project I’ve built or a post on here and in many cases these are not merely museum pieces but things that I make direct use of with some regularity. (I won’t just fix an antique car, I will drive it and live with it each day, for example.)
Several of my ongoing projects involve a mix of industrial archaeology, neon, art, restoration, and creation. Due to my interest in not only the vintage signs themselves but also the otherwise unseen vintage parts and tools used in their creation, another member of an online neon related page referred to me as a “neon archaeologist.” The description is appropriate….maybe even apt enough to revise my business card; it would start a conversation at least. (“What the heck is a neon archaeologist?”) …Not only for some of my specific, directly neon related, projects…but also in terms of the era of my main interests and that of many of the things I collect, use, and photograph.
Therefore, I have decided that some of my work will eventually be marketed under the name “Neon Archaeology.” As such, I have registered a website under that name. It is not yet set up but when it is set up, I imagine using it as a place to exhibit and (hopefully) sell some of my creations, unusual items, and completed restorations. I will of course set up links back and forth between here and there whenever that is all sorted out and up and running.