I started taking photographs of Boston's old neon signs in 2012

I quickly found myself on a mission to document these vintage beauties before they disappeared.

Everyone knows the CITGO sign in Kenmore Square (at least everyone in Boston), but the Boston metro region is full of lesser known -- and to my mind more interesting -- neon and electric signs. Here are some local favorites. And, yes, the CITGO sign is on the list.

"Welcome to Boston" How did a sign for a petroleum company come to represent the spirit of a city? It's a little bit of a mystery, but the CITGO sign in Kenmore Square has transcended its origins as a corporate advertisement to become an enduring and
"Spectacular" Towering above a working gas station, the Shell sign was built in 1933. The sign was first located on Automobile Row, a string of motor-related businesses along Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. The sign originally used neon and incandesce
"Hilltop" A giant neon cactus attracted customers to the Hilltop Steak House, a Western-themed restaurant along US-1 in Saugus (MA). For me, the Hilltop was a favorite dinner stop on the way home from a weekend in Maine. Once the busiest restaurant
"Midnight Movies" I often think of an old friend when I see this photo. One of my treasured memories of the Coolidge was sitting in the back row of the main auditorium with her, watching the movie and munching on a giant bag of popcorn that she smugg
"Donut Dreams" My favorite sign in Boston is a a modest one. Twin Donuts opened in the 1950s, and the sign is still glowing. Most of the time, at least. I have returned time and again to photograph those sweet cursive letters by day and by night. Now
"Donuts by Day" I shot this sign from a bus -- if you look closely, you can see some of the lights reflected in the windows -- and I love how it captures the Twin Donuts sign in its urban context.
"Take the Cannoli" Who makes the best cannoli in Boston? Many say Modern Pastry, which has been selling confections on Hanover Street in the city's North End neighborhood since 1930. I love how much is going on in this photograph photograph -- the i
"Deluxe" The Deluxe Town Diner has been serving comfort food since the 1940s. Previously called the Town Diner, the current structure replaced an original Worcester Lunch Car model in 1947. The current owners added the Deluxe moniker around 2000; the
"Slices of History" Regina Pizzeria opened in Boston’s North End neighborhood in 1926, making it the city’s oldest pizzeria. The family-owned restaurant still uses its original brick oven, built in 1888, to fire its pizzas. And while the sign is stil
"South Pacific" Everyone who lived in Newton has a cherished memory of the South Pacific. Affectionately called SoPo, South Pacific served Tiki favorites like pu pu platters and Mai Tais for decades before closing in 2012.
pleasant cafe for email.jpg
"Blanchards" If you lived, worked, or went to school in Allston, you know Blanchards. The liquor story (or packie, as we call it) opened its flagship store on Harvard Avenue in Allston in 1954, and a neon sign still illuminates the spot. Fun fact for
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