Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Neon Vancouver explores the city's signage of the past

Neon Vancouver explores the city's signage of the past
A new exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver explores one of the British Columbian city's more controversial history topics. Vancouver, which was known as the "neon capital of Canada" in the '50s, once had over 19,000 neon signs, some of which are still visible to tourists on North American vacations today.

However, a push from environmentalists in the '60s and '70s prompted the removal of many signs, with less than 50 historic neon signs remaining around the city today, according to Openfile.ca.

Neon Vancouver/Ugly Vancouver will run through August 2012, and consists of many of the signs from around the city, as well as an exploration of the "love/hate relationship" the city had with them. Exhibit curator Joan Seidl says that the citizens of Vancouver pushed to have the city be a "green, natural space" during those decades.

The exhibit, which is a wallet-friendly $12 admission fee for visitors on North American vacations, also contains photographs by Walter Griba that feature the neon past of Vancouver and have never been shown in public before.

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