Vintage Neon

The Discovering Vintage series takes you back in time to all of the timeless classic spots each city has to offer. The books spotlight the charming stories that tell you what each place is like now and how it got that way from classic restaurants to shops to other establishments that still thrive today and evoke the unique character of the city. They’re all still around—but they won’t be around forever. Start reading, and start your discovering now!

Neon signs turned North America's roadside into a luminous wonderland in the mid-20th century. These unforgettable depictions of exploding bowling pins, crashing cars, baton twirling majorettes, and lassoing cowboys were the fodder for legend and lore. Neon designer Len Davidson has captured their magic with over 350 photos of superb vintage signs. In the text, voices of neon sign makers, shopkeepers, photographers, and preservationists record their legends in words, while a definitive photo archive gives architects and sign artisans an invaluable resource. This volume is a treasure for all who have been captured by the spell of vintage neon.

In the stories that make up Oblivion, David Foster Wallace joins the rawest, most naked humanity with the infinite involutions of self-consciousness -- a combination that is dazzlingly, uniquely his. These are worlds undreamt of by any other mind. Only David Foster Wallace could convey a father's desperate loneliness by way of his son's daydreaming through a teacher's homicidal breakdown (The Soul Is Not a Smithy). Or could explore the deepest and most hilarious aspects of creativity by delineating the office politics surrounding a magazine profile of an artist who produces miniature sculptures in an anatomically inconceivable way (The Suffering Channel). Or capture the ache of love's breakdown in the painfully polite apologies of a man who believes his wife is hallucinating the sound of his snoring (Oblivion). Each of these stories is a complete world, as fully imagined as most entire novels, at once preposterously surreal and painfully immediate.

Most people do not stop to realize how many of their fond memories involve advertising signs. Although these neon spectaculars, billboards, and even signs painted directly onto brick walls were created expressly to persuade customers to buy products or patronize businesses, many such signs remained in place for so long that they became beloved landmarks in their own right. For Images of America: Vintage Birmingham Signs, Tim Hollis has scoured the archives of Birmingham’s former sign companies, as well as other private collections, to compile some of the best remembered or most obscure signs that dotted the urban and suburban landscape. Here readers will again see the Buffalo Rock bottle pouring its ginger ale into a glass, the Golden Flake clown smiling down at passersby, the Barber’s milk clock at the Five Points South intersection, and many more. Through these vintage photographs, readers can once again visit such once-thriving destinations as Eastwood Mall, Burger in a Hurry, and the Kiddieland amusement park.

Save time and money with in-depth reviews, ratings, and details from the trusted source for a successful Las Vegas vacation. How do some guests always seem to find the best restaurants, the best shows, the best hotels—and still come home with winnings in their pockets? Why do some guests pay full price for their visit when others can save hundreds of dollars? In Las Vegas, every minute and every dollar count. Your vacation is too important to be left to chance, so put the independent guide to Las Vegas in your hands and take control of your trip. The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas explains how Sin City works and how to use that knowledge to stay ahead of the crowd. Authors Bob Sehlinger and Seth Kubersky know that you want your vacation to be anything but average, so they employ an expert team of researchers to find the secrets, the shortcuts, and the bargains that are sure to make your vacation exceptional! Find out what’s available in every category, ranked from best to worst, and get detailed plans to make the most of your time in Las Vegas. Stay at a top-rated hotel, eat at the most acclaimed restaurants, and experience all the most popular attractions. Inside You’ll Find: Nearly 100 hotels and casinos described, rated, and ranked―the most offered by any guidebook―plus strategies for scoring the best room rate Reviews of more than 100 restaurants―a complete dining guide within the guide, plus the best buffets and brunches The best places to play for every casino game Almost 50 pages of gambling tips, including how to play, recognizing sucker games, and cutting the house advantage to the bone Critical reviews of more than 70 of Las Vegas’s best shows Complete coverage of the Las Vegas nightclub, bar, and lounge scene, with surefire advice on how to get into the most exclusive venues Detailed instructions for avoiding Strip and I-15 traffic gridlock In-depth descriptions and consumer tips on shopping and experiencing attractions Make the right choices to create a vacation you’ll never forget. The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas is your key to planning a perfect stay. Whether you’re putting together your annual trip or preparing for your first visit, this book gives you the insider scoop on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and more.

Descriptions of some offbeat places and people of Florida.

Your guide on how to have fun and understand the crazy environment that is today’s Las Vegas With insightful writing, up-to-date reviews of major attractions, and a lot of “local” knowledge, The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2019 has it all. Compiled and written by a team of experienced researchers whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas digs deeper and offers more than any single author could. This is the only guide that explains how Las Vegas works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your time there count. With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes out the guesswork. Eclipsing the usual list of choices, it unambiguously rates and ranks everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies. With The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas, you know what’s available in every category, from the best to the worst. The reader will also find the sections about the history of the town and the chapters on gambling fascinating. In truth, The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas, by Bob Sehlinger, emphasizes how to have fun and understand the crazy environment that is today’s Vegas. It’s a keeper.

This book is a celebration of tactile beauty and a tribute to human ingenuity. In-depth profiles tell the stories of 20 artisans who have devoted their lives to preserving traditional techniques. Gorgeous photographs reveal these craftspeople's studios, from Oaxaca to Kyoto and from Milan to Tennessee. Two essays explore the challenges and rewards of engaging deeply with the past. With an elegant three-piece case and foil stamping, this rich volume will be an inspiration to makers, collectors, and history lovers.