Neon Road Trip

by John Barnes

Overview

Take to the road to discover the history and artistry of North America’s 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 That’s 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 Visitor’s Guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423654070
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	746,639
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

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.

Editorial 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.

Smithsonian Magazine - Jennifer Nalewicki

The book also includes a ‘Neon Museums Visitor’s 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.

Lonely Planet - James Gabriel Martin