Hey Jude, Sign News

2025

Club Esquire

Early pictures and an ad from the Club Esquire.

No-Tel Motel

The first motel at 2425 N. Oracle was originally built as the Dobson Motel, in a 16-unit Spanish revival style. It changed names to the DeAnza and then the Holiday Motel.

In 1975 the motel became the No-Tel Motel which stayed open for 47 years as a seedy motel that rented rooms by the week, day or hour with water beds, ceiling mirrors, coin-op massage beds, plus non-stop adult movies.

The City of Tucson purchased the property and it was determined that the sign would come to Ignite Sign Art Museum. Prior to arriving at Ignite, the faces were stolen, but returned a week later.

The neon was put back on. The photo is of the lighting ceremony that occurred on March 22, 2025.

Leo's Auto Supply Sign

Leo's Auto Supply opened in 1947 at 2811 N. Stone Avenue. This sign was crafted from aluminum.
Due to pigeons living in the sign and leaving their droppings, the bottom of the sign has been eaten away. It will need new sheet metal. It is awaiting restoration.

2024

Welcome to Argon alley

The Welcome to Argon Alley sign was repurposed and now lights up Argon Alley.

Kittles Bike & Key Shop Inc.
Formerly at 4401 E. Speedway
After the war, in 1945, Jack Kittle opened a fix-it shop to repair items that could not be replaced. He sharpened lawnmower blades and taught himself how to make keys when people got locked out. He had a big wooden key made for his sign.

Around 1950, Jack sold the business to co-workers, Joe Malazo and Clarence Farmer. They kept the business name and probably commissioned this flashing neon key be built. The transformer inside the sign was dated 1951. The business stayed open for forty-nine years.

Ignite acquired the key in 2023. The sign had just enough faint outlines of the original lettering and remnants of the paint to uncover the original layout. The restoration of the key took approximately six weeks.

Mr Quick Atom Restoration

THE mR qUICK sIGN FROM THE 1960s was located at I-10 and 6th Avenue.

1960s photo of Mr Quick Hamburgers

Marcel A. Comte from Bloomington, Illinois started up the hamburger chain that grew to approximately several hundred across the U.S. Tucson had two of the fast food hamburger stores. In the photos, you will see Steve bending and attaching the neon.

Restoration of the Iron Mask Sign

Doug and Rita Marvin opened the Iron Mask in 1965. Currently, the restaurant is called Kingfisher.

Gem, our U of A volunteer, began sanding the rusty mask, then she primed and painted it. Jude painted the details, adding a shadow and finally the neon to the Iron Mask. The sign can be found in our Stravenue Room.

2023

Ignite's 5 Year Celebration October 7th

Our Visit to the sign museums in Berlin and Warsaw

Buchstaben Museum Berlin

Neon Muzeum Warsaw

2022

Ignite-O-Lite

Chuck demonstrates our new interactive
Ignite-O-Lite Mach 3 display. This hands on
display was crafted with 24 Neon Units,
24 Buttons, and 24 organ chords. Many
creative minds and hands (Chuck, Jude,
Steve, Andy, Alex and Jim) created this
unique light sculpture for all ages to enjoy!

Sierra Madre Drugs

This vintage 1930s Sierra Madre Drugs sign recently came by way of the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is now getting new neon glass. This sign has beautiful scrolling detailing at the top and along the sides and the bottom.

We are currently researching more information on the original location of this sign. While it says Sierra Madre, there is a ghost of letters underneath.

Rincon Market

The first sign is up in Argon Alley. The Rincon Market opened in 1926 at 2513 E. 6th Street and became a landmark in the historic Sam Hughes Neighborhood. In addition to groceries, one could eat in the cafe.

Most recent addition to the collection is this Bedroxx Bowling Alley sign.

The Close-Inn Courts was located at 1521 S. 6th Avenue. This "No Vacancy" sign from the 1930s came in. A friend of Ignite, Steve Gibson, brought it back to Tucson from San Diego where it had been in storage for a number of years.

The Club Esquire sign was donated to Ignite recently. This is a part of downtown Tucson's history that no one knew still existed. This is a particularly exciting find. Club Esquire existed from the 1950s until the 1980s when it closed. The owner tried to move it, but with no success. It's been stored in a back yard for over 30 years. The sign will be restored.

Ignite receives the Governor's 2022 Heritage Preservation Honor Award

The Tucson Inn Lights Up

Ignite's docent and neon bender, Chuck Penson, photographs the Tucson Inn lighting up for the first time after many years of going dark. As Chuck photographs, so does the Arizona Daily Star. Chuck's hands make the front page news story.
Thanks to all that made this lighting possible, Pima College, Tucson Historical Society, Cook & Company Signmakers and Fluoresco Services.

Ignite's Entry in the 2022 Parade of Lights

Here's our entry in the Tucson Parade of Lights on December 17th. Video courtesy of Ignite's docent, Chuck Penson.

2021

Grant Stone Sign

The Grant Stone Sign came down when Grant Road was widened. The sign went to a sign yard before it was donated to Ignite Sign Art Museum. A class was held and this group of people signed on to help the restoration of the sign.

Samaniego House Sign

Samaniego was an early settler. His house on Church Street became a restaurant. This sign was donated and restored.

The Margaritas sign came from the Red Robin Restaurant that was once at Tucson Mall.

Argon Alley

We started working on Argon Alley in April of 2021 , starting with walkways and then building the storefronts.

The El Sahuaro Motel had to be removed from its location at 303 W. Flores. How the sign looked when it came in March 2021.

El Sahuaro Sign

The sign was sanded to find the original colors. The neon for El Sahuaro was tested and found to be green.

The El Sahuaro Motel was finally finished in early 2024.

Tiki Motel

The Tiki Motel on Oracle Road was purchased and torn down. The sign needed to be saved. It was saved by Cook & Company Signmakers and brought to Ignite Sign Art Museum for safe keeping.

2020

Even though Covid was a big factor in 2020, the projects at Ignite continued.

The Neon Experience

Jude designed and built the Neon Experience. Chuck and Kathryn Penson created the film, "There's No Other Light Like Neon," that tells the neon story. Push the buttons to light up the tubes to see the neon and argon lights.

Arrow from Safford, AZ

Jude cleans out the rusty sockets and puts installs new light bulbs. The Time-o-matic at the the end of the arrow makes the light bulbs flash.

The Soda Area

The soda area talks about the soda creators.

2019

Jude hangs The Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission Historic Preservation Award received on May 25th for the Creation of Ignite Sign Art Museum in 2018 with the mission of preserving, restoring and displaying historically significant signs.

The Grill Restaurant of 100 E. Congress comes to Ignite Museum. This downtown opened in the 1940's and closed in 2011. Previous restaurants at that location included, the Stag Grill and Minerva Café. Would you believe the sign was found at a bordello in Calexico?

Andrew of Arizona Illustrated records Jude on the beginnings of Ignite Sign Art Museum. The episode aired Sunday, January 27th, 2019.
We invite you to watch the link below.

www.facebook.com/azillustrated/videos/362566071235186/?v=362566071235186