Page 70 - Experience Magazine Fall 2022
P. 70
LIQUID FIRE
THE HISTORY OF NEON
IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEON HAS BEEN given electricity, providing contrast
to the red glow of neon.
CALLED “LIQUID FIRE” — IT ATTRACTS THE HUMAN
EYE WITH AN ALLURE THAT FEW OTHER FORMS OF In 1902 Georges Claude, a French
engineer and chemist, became the first
LIGHT CAN COMMAND. THE GLASS-SEALED TUBES person to apply electricity to a sealed
TWISTED TO FORM LETTERS AND SHAPES FILLED tube of neon gas and create a lamp.
WITH NEON GAS LIT WITH ELECTRICITY CONTINUE Claude displayed the first neon lamp
to the public in Paris on December 11,
TO MESMERIZE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
1910, and subsequently patented the
neon lighting tube on January 19, 1915.
This can easily be experienced by Neon was later introduced in the
walking into the Barrett-Jackson auction United States in 1923 when Claude’s
arena on any given morning of an event company, Claude Neon, sold two
for the daily Automobilia Auction that neon signs to a Packard car dealership
takes place before the collector cars in Los Angeles. It’s reported that Earle
make their way across the block.
C. Anthony, an American businessman
There are several types of neon signs, who became a Packard distributor for
primarily skeleton neon, which is all of California, purchased the two
just the gas itself in the tube with a signs reading “Packard” for $24,000.
transformer often seen in dealership Hollow glass tubes in four-, five-,
windows; tin with neon, which and eight-foot lengths were used
features a tin face which is painted, to create the first neon signs. The
though over time can rust and erode; glass was heated between 1,600-
and porcelain neon, which features 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit with a
a glossy porcelain background field 3,000-degree propane gas flame. The
which the neon is mounted to.
tubes would then be partially cut
Historically, porcelain has always been while cold, snapped apart when hot,
desirable, and neon porcelain signs and shaped to the desired angles and
continue to be the hottest category in curves. Once finished, the tube would
automotive memorabilia today. Like be “bombarded.” Bombarding the
many other forms of collectibles, what tube means most of the air has been
makes neon collectible boils down to a removed, and the tube is heated to
few things: authenticity, age, condition, 550 degrees with a short-circuit, high-
size, design, brand and rarity. voltage current. It is then backfilled
Neon is a naturally occurring gaseous with argon or neon to a specific
element present in the atmosphere. pressure depending on the diameter of
While the theory behind neon the tube and sealed off.
dates back to 1675, it was officially After its introduction to the United
discovered by William Ramsay and States, neon became a rapidly expanding
M. W. Travers in 1898 in London. technology used worldwide. It rose to
Ramsay and Travers were the first to further prominence in 1939 when it was
isolate the element with liquid argon used at the World’s Fair in New York
and evaporate it to create krypton, by General Motors. A giant neon sign
which has a blue-green glow when reading “Futurama” was erected to light
70 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE FALL 2022
