Take a road trip along America’s historic Route 66 and you’ll see candy-colored beacons attracting tourists to shops, motels, and roadside attractions. Neon signs still stand as flashy examples of American folk art that hit the height of their popularity in the 1940s. Today, a New York City company calling itself Let There Be Neon keeps the spotlight on neon.
At its 3,500-square-foot shop in lower Manhattan, the sign shop uses art and chemistry in conjunction with detailed craftsmanship and a sense of whimsy to create one-of-a-kind, handmade neon signs. The company has been glowing strong since its founding in 1972 by artist Rudi Stern.
“Neon is a luminous tube that when electricity is energizing the tube, the tube lights up,” says Let There Be Neon owner Jeff Friedman. “Red is the pure color of neon. But we also use argon, which is blue, and by combining the different gases with different glass colors or phosphorus inside the tube, that’s how we get all the different colors. Neon is pure, it’s made by hand, it’s made by glass, it’s recyclable.” Sound simple? Not quite.
It’s not just artistry that lights up a neon sign. It’s science––specifically chemistry. In 1898, Sir William Ramsay, a Scottish chemist, and Morris M. Travers, an English chemist discovered a rare gas in dry air. They named it “neon,” a derivative of the Greek word for “new.” The colorless, odorless gas conducts electricity.
At Let There Be Neon, artists bend glass tubes into different letters, shapes, and designs. An electrode is applied at each tip of the tube. The electrode is made of lead glass with a little metal shell and two wires. The tubes don’t have air in them—only gas. An electrical current enters the tube through the electrode, sending electrons flowing through the gas. The gas atoms glow with color.
Lately, LED signs have been replacing some neon counterparts. LED lights are cheaper to make and cost less to operate than neon ones. They are energy efficient, shatter resistant, and lightweight––unlike neon signs. But neon signs are built to last. Many keep glowing for up to 50 years! And they’re recyclable. They don’t clutter landfills like their plastic competition does.
“Live Life Illuminated,” says the homepage of Let There Be Neon’s website. The company’s slogan is also the bold message of Matthew 5:16. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
This is JENNA First
Go Neon! btw has anyone ever seen the star something LED adds for your room? I think their taking over more than just basic signs..............
2nd comment
2nd comment
hi im back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why you havent been hearing from me
Permalink On Thu, 07/08/2021 - 15:37 | BY Gloriana B
i have been more than a little busy with my first year of high school, my first fulltime job, my youth bible study, my knitting club, and writing a prospective debut novel. hopefully, that is.
its going to be a series called GIFTED, about a bunch of kids who band together to fight demons in another world. they have magical powers called gifts, and they are called gifteds.
there are a ton of main characters, because its planned as a 12 book series with 2 main characters, a boy and girl for each one. of course some of them are more major than the others, but that happens- :-)
GB
4th comment
Permalink On Thu, 07/08/2021 - 17:07 | BY Gloriana B
my characters are-
Aidan(minor, bodyguard of MDF)
Arrow, TELEPORTER
Arthur-minor, spymaster
Belle Ashlyn Brashe, princess, FIREWARDEN
Brian, ELECTRIFIER
Dagger (brother of Arrow, has the potential to access all power, which is called a COMMANDER)
Damian Hurricane, STORMCALLER
Dash, RUNNER
Flint ,STRONGMAN
Francis-minor, brother of Arthur, horsemaster
Genevieve (whom the demons posess) COMMANDER
Gemina, EMPATH who is the above's twin. marries Francis, the horsemaster
Hawkjet
Hyacinth Aspen Roseleaf, PLANTSPEAKER
James- minor brother of Francis and Arthur, bowmaster
Jasper
Kenneth, TELEPATH and MUSICIAN
Lea Gloria MUSICIAN
Margaret
Matthias Shadow, SHADE
Miriam Destiny Farsight, a Seer or prophet (prefers to be called Destiny)
Mirora Esther Shine
Nightingale (Gale)
Patrik
Raina, TIMECALLER
Sari, PERSUADER
Silas Luke Emmanuel, a HEALER
Shiara WATERCALLER, marries Kenneth
Trixin (Trix), TIMETRAVELER
Zak'ry(minor, bodyguard of MDF, along with Aidan)
GB
this is not a complete or
Permalink On Thu, 07/08/2021 - 17:08 | BY Gloriana B
this is not a complete or accurate list
GB
the capitalized words
Permalink On Thu, 07/08/2021 - 20:03 | BY Gloriana B
the capitalized words indicate magical abilities.
my characters are-
Aidan(minor, bodyguard of MDF), FLASHERnot much else is known about him.
Arrow, TELEPORTER. marries Trixin.not much else is known about him.
Arthur -minor, spymaster, SHADE not much else is known about him.
Belle Ashlyn Brashe, princess, FIREWARDEN. marries Jasper.
Brian, ELECTRIFIER. marries Hyacinth Aspen Roseleaf.
Caesar- minor brother of Arthur, kitchenmaster, POLYGLOT not much else is known about him.
Dagger (brother of Arrow, has the potential to access all power, which is called a COMMANDER)dies in final book. had loved Trixin.
Damian Hurricane, STORMCALLER. dies sacrificing himself for his friends who had thought him a traitor.not much else is known about him.
Dash, RUNNER. marries Nightingale.not much else is known about him.
Flint ,STRONGMAN marries Miriam Destiny Farsight.not much else is known about him.
Francis-minor, brother of Arthur, horsemaster, CREATURESPEAKER. marries Gemina.not much else is known about him.
Genevieve (whom the demons possess) COMMANDER
Gemina, EMPATH who is the above's twin. marries Francis, the horsemaster
Hawkjet, FLIGHTMASTER. tall and skinny brown hair pale, with freckles. marries Margaret.not much else is known about him.
Hyacinth Aspen Roseleaf, PLANTSPEAKER. marries Brian.
James- minor brother of Francis and Arthur, bowmaster not much else is known about him.
Jasper, STONESPEAKER. marries Belle Ashlyn Brash. not much else is known about him.
Kenneth, TELEPATH and MUSICIAN. tall, brownhaired and eyed, tanned. marries Shiara. formerly assumed dead.
Lea Gloria MUSICIAN. Has brown hair with flecks of gold, hazel eyes, pink and white skin, and is tall. Marries Matthias after having been fighting with each other for years. best friend is Shiara.
Margaret, CREATURESPEAKER. Shy, but mischievious. Browngold hair, pale green eyes, and tanned. marries Hawkjet.
Matthias Shadow, SHADE. Pale, blue eyed, and black haired. Marries Lea Gloria.not much else is known about him.
Miriam Destiny Farsight, a SEER or prophet (prefers to be called Destiny), has black-purple hair, and deep purple eyes, a pale complexion, and a tall figure. Marries Flint.
Mirora Esther Shine, FLASHER. Petite, blonde, and silver-eyed. Marries Silas Luke Emmanuel.
Nightingale (Gale) , WINDSPEAKER. Tall, a dark brunette, tanned, with gray eyes. Marries Dash.
Patrik, POLYGLOT. Tousled brown hair, teasing hazel eyes, a tan skin, and a short stature. marries Sari.not much else is known about him.
Raina, TIMECALLER. has short shaggy black hair, is petite and fierce, with forbidding gray eyes. dies in final book.
Sari, PERSUADER. petite, redheaded, blueyed and freckled with a strange elegance and posture. marries Patrik.
Silas Luke Emmanuel, a HEALER. dark brown skin, with green eyes, deep black hair, and a wide smile. Marries Mirora Esther Shine.not much else is known about him.
Shiara, WATERCALLER, marries Kenneth after having thought him dead. Auburn, pale, with deep green eyes, petite.
Trixin (Trix), TIMETRAVELER, petite, blonde, pixielike, with flashing blue eyes. After having loved Dagger, she marries Arrow.
Zak'ry(minor, bodyguard of MDF, along with Aidan), SHADE not much else is known about him.
this is not a complete or accurate list, but MDF stands for Miriam Destiny Farsight.
GB
SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Permalink On Thu, 07/08/2021 - 20:04 | BY Gloriana B
sorry about the LENGTHY comment that wasnot really a comment but i think that the story was cool.
Neon Is awesome, Its not used
Neon Is awesome, Its not used enough In my opinion.
Saw it on WORLDWatch
I saw this on WORLDWatch the other day. That's so cool! It must be fun to work there.
Wasn't this...
Wasn't this on World Watch?
@GLORIANA B
where can I buy these books?
Cool
Neon is cool. It should be more involved than it is right now to be honest.