Neon Road Trip
(Hardback)
Publishing Details
Neon Road Trip
By (Author) John Barnes
Gibbs M. Smith Inc
Gibbs M. Smith Inc
3rd March 2020
23rd March 2020
United States
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
659.136097
Physical Properties
Hardback
208
Width 229mm, Height 229mm
Description
Take to the road to discover the history and artistry of North Americas disappearing neon signs.
Neon Road Trip chronicles the history of the commercial neon sign with a curated collection of photographs capturing the most colorful and iconic neon still surviving today.
The vivid photographs are arranged according to the signs' imagery, with sections such as Spirit of the West, On the Road, Now Thats Entertainment, and Ladies, Diving Girls & Mermaids. Sixteen of the most iconic landmark signs include brief histories on how that unique sign came to be. A resource section includes a photography index by location and a Neon Museums Visitors Guide.
Reviews
Called Neon Road Trip, the comprehensive book is awash in neon-bright reds, greens, yellows and blues. The collection of photographs serves as a time machine transporting readers back to the mid-20th century when neon signage illuminated the highways and byways across America. -- Jennifer Nalewicki * Smithsonian Magazine *
The book also includes a Neon Museums Visitors Guide and an index, by state, of the signage featured throughout. As well as a collection of stunning images, the book outlines a brief history about how neon signage took off from the 1930s on and became symbols of American highways and urban spaces. He even goes into the science behind the signs, with how neon and argon work to create the functional art pieces. -- James Gabriel Martin * Lonely Planet *
Author Bio
John Barnes studied art, graphic design, sculpture and photography, earning a BFA degree in documentary photography from the University of Delaware 1984. He worked as a commercial advertising photographer for over fifteen years both on the east coast and in San Francisco, and has been a fine art photographer for the last 30 years. He recently spent the last two years traveling around the United States and Canada photographing iconic neon signs. John resides in Seattle but spends most of his time traveling taking photographs.
