LIQUID FIRE: History Of Neon
August 23, 2022
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Nicole Ellan James
It’s easy to understand why neon has been called “liquid fire” — it attracts the human eye with an allure that few other forms of light can command. The glass-sealed tubes twisted to form letters and shapes filled with neon gas lit with electricity continue to mesmerize people of all ages.
1953 Ford Jubilee Neon Porcelain Sign – Sold! $460,000
This can easily be experienced by walking into the Barrett-Jackson auction arena on any given morning of an event for the daily Automobilia Auction that takes place before the collector cars make their way across the block.
There are several types of neon signs, primarily skeleton neon, which is just the gas itself in the tube with a transformer often seen in dealership windows; tin with neon, which features a tin face which is painted, though over time can rust and erode; and porcelain neon, which features a glossy porcelain background field which the neon is mounted to.
Historically, porcelain has always been desirable, and neon porcelain signs continue to be the hottest category in automotive memorabilia today. Like many other forms of collectibles, what makes neon collectible boils down to a few things: authenticity, age, condition, size, design, brand and rarity.
Neon is a naturally occurring gaseous element present in the atmosphere. While the theory behind neon dates back to 1675, it was officially discovered by William Ramsay and M. W. Travers in 1898 in London. Ramsay and Travers were the first to isolate the element with liquid argon and evaporate it to create krypton, which has a blue-green glow when given electricity, providing contrast to the red glow of neon.
In 1902 Georges Claude, a French engineer and chemist, became the first person to apply electricity to a sealed tube of neon gas and create a lamp. Claude displayed the first neon lamp to the public in Paris on December 11, 1910, and subsequently patented the neon lighting tube on January 19, 1915.
1940s-50s Mobile Oil Neon Porcelain Pegasus sign – Sold! $161,000
Neon was later introduced in the United States in 1923 when Claude’s company, Claude Neon, sold two neon signs to a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles. It’s reported that Earle C. Anthony, an American businessman who became a Packard distributor for all of California, purchased the two signs reading “Packard” for $24,000.
Hollow glass tubes in four-, five- and eight-foot lengths were used to create the first neon signs. The glass was heated between 1,600-2,200 degrees Fahrenheit with a 3,000-degree propane gas flame. The tubes would then be partially cut while cold, snapped apart when hot, and shaped to the desired angles and curves. Once finished, the tube would be “bombarded.” Bombarding the tube means most of the air has been removed, and the tube is heated to 550 degrees with a short-circuit, high-voltage current. It is then backfilled with argon or neon to a specific pressure depending on the diameter of the tube and sealed off.
After its introduction to the United States, neon became a rapidly expanding technology used worldwide. It rose to further prominence in 1939 when it was used at the World’s Fair in New York by General Motors. A giant neon sign reading “Futurama” was erected to light the way toward the car makers’ exhibition on the World of Tomorrow.
1940s Greyhound Bus Lines tin sign with animated neon – Sold! $149,500
Around the 1960s, neon began to be phased out and was replaced with other less labor-intensive and cheaper products.
According to Rory Brinkman, Barrett-Jackson’s longtime automobilia director, Neon is symbolic of a bygone era and has become a lost art form because many sign companies no longer employ teams of neon artists. Premium neon signs typically range between $15,000 and $50,000 with the best-of-the-best, high-quality examples exceeding such. Part of the value comes from it being impossible to find.
“At Barrett-Jackson we have been blessed with collections composed of spectacular neon of the highest quality,” says Brinkman. He added that the Ford Jubilee neon porcelain sign that sold for $460,000 at the 2022 Scottsdale Auction earned a world record as the highest-selling antique sign at the time. Three other neon signs also sold for more than six figures at that auction.
Those other high-selling neon signs included a 1940s-50s Mobil Oil double-sided rotating neon Pegasus for $161,000, a 1940s Greyhound Bus Lines tin sign with animated neon for $149,500 and a huge 1940s Flying A Service neon porcelain sign for $146,050.
“Since 1986, neon has been the hottest segment of automobilia. It’s special because it brings you back to a lost time and it’s eye candy that captures your attention,” Brinkman said.
The 2021 Houston Auction has also seen strong sales of neons. Most notably a 1940s-50s Flying A Service neon sign for $100,500, a 1950s Mobil Oil Pegasus neon sign for $90,000 and a 1940s-50s Cessna Airplanes neon sign for $75,000.
According to Brinkman, the Houston Auction will have several neon signs worth keeping an eye on, including Lot #8293, a large 10-foot Sonoco Oil single-sided porcelain sign with neon flashing arrow that has been restored to perfection, Lot #8295, an original single-sided 1940s-50s Chevrolet OK Used Cars neon porcelain sign and Lot #8297, a 6-foot Ford Automobiles single-sided neon sign featuring the Ford script logo and many others – all selling with No Reserve.
The 2022 Houston Auction, held October 20-22 at NRG Center, is set to light up the Lone Star State with some incredible neon signs and other amazing pieces of automobilia. Join us in the arena for your chance to experience this magnificent segment of The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions.