Tagged: Grand Lake Theater

Grand Lake Theater, Oakland CA

 

I was asked to assist movie marquee and electrical signage expert and Grand Lake Theater in house sign man Greg King with some work on the roof sign at the Grand Lake recently. Greg needed a little rigging and bosun’s chair assistance. I haven’t taken on a new service job in ten years, but how could I refuse working on one of the greatest classic signs in the country? If you are paying attention, you will notice that there is no neon on this sign. That’s right, it is all incandescent bulbs. Before neon became the primary lighting source for signage in the 1930’s, all illuminated signage was comprised of incandescents, light bulbs. Hats off to Allen Michaan the theaters owner for going way out of his way to make sure the Grand Lake Theater stays open, despite how hard it is to support such a business these day. Thanks also for his determination to see that the fabulous roof sign is re-illuminated. It’ll take Greg and I a while yet to complete the work – scheduling is difficult. Look for a re-opening of the theater very soon. Hopefully not too long after that, the roof sign will be back on and glowing….





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